In an improbable scenario, you’ve run out of plain water but still have cases of soda in the pantry. Should you water your plants with it? You might be shocked to learn that soda water can benefit your plants, but only if the soda contains sugar. A carbonated beverage such as club soda contains critical nutrients, but the sugar in flavored drinks such as cola or root beer may hinder the plants from absorbing these nutrients and may even harm the plants.
Unflavored soda water is beneficial to plants and promotes faster growth. However, the inclusion of sugar may nullify the benefits of carbonation and minerals in soda water. Flavored soda can harm plant roots and make them susceptible to illness.
1. A Study on This Specific Issue
In 2002, two University of Colorado Boulder researchers published the findings of a study that looked at the effects of watering Helzine soleirolii, or Baby Tears, with club soda. During the 10-day experiment, the researchers supplied the same food to both groups of plants, applied the same fertilizer, and exposed them to the same amount of sunlight. They irrigated one group’s plants with normal water while giving the other group club soda.
The plants that received club soda grew more than twice as quickly as the other group and produced healthier shades of green, according to the researchers. The extra nutrients in the club soda were expected to cause this, and the results of their experiment verified their predictions.
