How Would Salt Water Affect Plants?

Dehydration

• After eating a salty snack one often becomes very thirsty. This is because the salt works against moisture on whatever it touches. Salt is a desiccant, meaning it draws moisture out of a substance. When applied to plants, salt draws moisture from the plant, eventually causing the plant to dehydrate and die. For this reason, salt is often used as a weed killer on unwanted plants around the home and garden. Whether provided to plants alone or mixed in water, salt dries the plant from the inside out.

Lower Production

• When saltwater is applied to plants, they take it in through the roots just as they take in pure water. While it is normal for plants to take in a very low level of salt from the soil and water around their roots, saltwater causes the plants to take in too much salt. The salt then enters the plant's tissues such as leaves, stems, flowers and fruits. Once inside these tissues, the salt interferes with and messes up the plant cells' ability to do their normal life processes, such as growing, repairing and making food. The result is a lower yield of everything the plant produces, from flowers and fruits to foliage growth.

Decreased Water Intake

• If you have ever watered a wilted plant and watched it literally spring back to life, you have noticed a plant's ability to quickly utilize hydration. Pure water, when given to plants, is taken in through the roots immediately and put to use within the plant, creating cellular energy. When a plant is watered with saltwater, the plant actually takes in water more slowly. This is because a plant's roots are designed to pass water through quickly while passing any other substance through more slowly. Since saltwater causes the water to move more slowly, the plant actually ends up taking in greatly reduced amounts of water over time.

Reducing Salts in Water

• If your water is naturally salty, or you simply wish to decrease your plants' exposure to salt as much as possible, there are steps you can take to reduce salt in your water. A reverse osmosis water filtration system runs water through a thin membrane that removes salts as the water passes. A deionizing or distilling system cooks the salts out of water, making it pure and ideal for houseplants. Distilled water may even be purchased in most stores. Reducing the salt in your water may drastically improve the appearance and overall health of your plants.