November 19th

By Mutt Mulligan

How to use melted snow to water your houseplants

Rainwater is better for watering houseplants than tap water because it has fewer chemicals. During the warmer months you can collect water in rain barrels or even buckets to water your plants. (Learn how to make a rain barrel by reading TurfMutt’s Family Activities Guide.) But what’s a gardener to do during the winter months?

Collect and melt snow to water your indoor plants this winter.

Collecting and then melting snow is an effective way to water houseplants, and it just takes a couple of extra steps.

1. Shovel or scoop snow into buckets. You can pat it down with your foot to make room for more snow.

2. Place the buckets inside to melt. You might consider placing a towel under the containers to capture any condensation.

3. When the snow melts use a funnel to transfer the water into jugs or water canisters. If there is a lot of debris in the water you might want to use a sieve.

4. Water your plants with the room temperature water.

This is one of the best ways to reduce, reuse and recycle water this winter. And your indoor plants will thank you for it!

Do you have other “green” ideas? Share them here, or on TurfMutt’s Facebook page.