Reverse Osmosis

[nitsua0895]

Does anyone have experience with using a reverse osmosis system for watering potted palms? Lately I've just been watering my palms with tap water from a hose each morning but I'm wanting to set up some type of sprinkler system to water more thoroughly. However, I don't want to water the crowns of my palms with tap water because I've heard that can cause lots of problems.

[Hammer]

RO is amazing stuff.  I don't use a mister.  But for select palms I use a bottle and pour into the dirt.  Even with RO water I try to keep the crowns dry.

[JT in Japan]

Jungle Music uses it for all their palms, apparently. There's a good thread from Phil on this, but I don't have it handy. Have a search, and you'll find it quickly.

JT

[sashaeffer]

I have a lot of potted palms, and my first choice is collected rain water but in my climate I can't do that all year around so in the winter my first choice is RO water.  My RO system is part of the whole house water so I can only "take" so much at a time so I collect 20oz drinking water bottles and use them filling them up and setting them next to palms around the house(much to my wifes dismay)   I have also used filtered well water that I'm on when in a pinch.

I do know that Palmtalk member Pal Meir uses softened water with success and if you see any of the pictures he posts on here of his collection over the years his palm sure don't seem to mind at all.

My personal opinion is it's not even so much the water you use but the drainage the palm/pot has.