Here's Why You Shouldn't Try the Viral Hack of Watering Your Plants with Pasta Liquid

Whether you're on a quest for the best natural fertilizer or testing out new gardening tools, one thing’s for sure: If you're a plant lover, you're probably always ready to try out a hack to give your greenery a boost. So when creator @mold_hound, an organic gardening advocate on Instagram, posted a Reel about saving pasta liquid for watering houseplants, the comments filled with plenty of enthusiasm. But is pouring your tortellini water into your peonies really beneficial?

@mold_hound shared these rules for reusing pasta liquid in plants, if you were to decide to test the trend for yourself:

• Allow the pasta water to cool.
• Dilute it with regular water.
• Water your plants as usual.
• It's better to not add salt to your water.

According to some experts, it’s the last point that makes it questionable. In fact, many say not to use this hack because any amount of salted water isn’t good for plants. And, to make matters a little more complicated, boiling pasta in water without salt isn’t recommended, either. As @chef.joe.sasto commented, “But who isn’t adding salt to their pasta water?”

So what’s a plant parent to do?

“A crucial point to be aware of is that pasta water is typically salted (often quite heavily)," Andrew Gaumond, horticulturist and Editorial Director at Petal Republic, told Living Etc. "If plants are given too much sodium, it can immediately affect the nutrient base in the soil in a negative way and also cause your plants to quickly dehydrate as the salt sucks out the moisture.”

You also need to consider the ingredients in the pasta you've boiled—as in, it's best if your pasta is organic. If it contains preservatives or other chemicals, using the liquid may hurt your plant’s health.

Instagram user @farrah309 shared a compromise in the comments: “I use my rice water. And no bugs or mold because I also feed my plants colloidal silver.”

While it would be ideal if pasta water delivered extra benefits, if you want your dish to be as flavorful as possible, you must add salt—which plants ultimately don’t like. So the journey to find the most nourishing (and salt-free) plant watering hacks continues: Keep searching social media for innovative tips, but be sure to do your due diligence before using them in real life.