A gardener recently wrote in a curious question:
“Hey gardenerd! My new place has an artesian well… Will the high sulfur content (assumption scientifically based solely on smell) of the well water affect plants? Yers truly, from the turtle coast, Florida.”
Right off the bad, I have to admit that I had no idea how to answer this one, simply because I’ve never dealt with wells or sulfur or anything other than chlorine in the water. While I never claim to know everything there is to know about gardening, I do know where to go to find the answer. In this case, I consulted with one of my favorite resources – Steven P. Christman of Floridata.com
Floridata.com has a wonderful photographic encyclopedia that can be searched by both common and botanical names. You can also search by type of plant and growing condition (plant features). A very handy resource at your fingertips!
Now, back to your question – Steve’s answer, quite simply, was that the high sulfur content will have no negative affects on your plants. In fact he says the extra minerals will probably help your plants.
So there you have it. Water away.
Thanks for writing in and keep those questions coming!
