Watering plants is a must when you have a garden, but did you know how many types of water can be used to water your plants?
We often see social media posts and articles saying plants should be watered with potato water, pasta water, and more for good growth, but what are the benefits?
Why should we use pasta water instead of regular water? Is pasta water a substitute for fertilizer? Which plants can be benefited from using pasta water?
Many doubts and misbeliefs need clarification before adding pasta water to your home garden regime. Let’s delve in!
1. What is Pasta Water?

Pasta water is obtained from boiling pasta in water, it can also be generated from soaking and washing pasta. During washing, the pasta dust gets dissolved in water, as they are rich in starch, obtained from ingredients like flour and egg.
Pasta water obtained from boiling has more nutrients compared to those obtained by soaking, this is because boiling can release more nutrients from pasta into the water.
1.1. Is Pasta Water a Fertilizer Substitute?

Experts say there is nothing to worry about using pasta water for watering. It is completely safe and harmless unless and until they are not salted or seasoned.
If the pasta water is salted, it can harm the plant as saltwater dehydrates the plant, it can drain the moisture content from the plant body.
Added salt is used as a natural weed killer because of this reason. They can destroy even weeds by absorbing moisture from them. It is a natural way to kill weeds.
Pasta water is not a fertilizer substitute. Even after using pasta water for watering, you have to feed the plant. The rich starch content in pasta water can enrich microbial growth. This provides healthy plant growth and prevents root rot. Some say pasta water is also rich in iron and calcium.
Nitrogen and phosphorus are required for the vegetative growth of the plant. Flowering and fruiting need potassium. A deficiency in these three nutrients can make the plant unhealthy. Pasta water supplies potassium and phosphorus to the soil.
Fermented pasta water can get rid of some pests.
Enhancing Plant Health with Pasta Water: Benefits and Precautions

Nutrient Richness and Plant Health
Pasta water has nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and potassium that are essential for the growth of plants. The minerals may add to the soil nutrient pool provided that their amounts are small.
Pasta water is starchy, which inevitably leads to the growth of healthy bacteria and fungi, which promote soil quality and plant resistance.
Potential Benefits
Nutrient Enrichment: Pasta water is rich in starches left from pasta as well as minerals that are dissolved out of them during cooking. Such nutrients, for instance, potassium, calcium, and remaining carbohydrates might be taken as a natural fertilizer by plants which in turn makes the soil more fertile by expanding the variety of nutrients.
Water Conservation: Using pasta water for the next cooking process gives the person the opportunity to save water. It allows the practice of an eco-friendly lifestyle, which turns useless waste into a resource while helping to protect the environment.
Soil Conditioning: What makes pasta water unique is the starch in it can serve as a soil conditioner and contribute to the soil’s water retention, or potentially help to improve soil structure in more sandy or less fertile soils.
Potential Drawback
Salt Content: Pasta water usually enters a certain amount of salt from its cooking process. Too much salinity can cause health problems for plants, they dry up and the whole system is disrupted as an osmotic movement within the soil and plant cells stops.
Microbial Growth: Due to the starchy nature of pasta water, microbes can overgrow and thrive. If the moisture is not well drained, this might lead to the growth of molds or mildew in the soil. Such could affect the plant’s health.
Soil pH Impact: The circulating of the starchy water with a particular pH post-pasta cooking operation can influence the soil’s pH which helps in the availability of important nutrients and in influencing the plant absorption.
Some Advice for Hydrating Plants with Pasta Water
- Dilute
First and foremost, diluting the pasta water is crucial to preventing too much salt and carbs from entering the soil. A good starting point is one part pasta water to two parts clean water.
- Drained
Second, make sure there is sufficient drainage for the plants. Overwatering can draw insects and pests and cause root damage.
Finally, when dealing with plants that are gluten-sensitive, you should never use pasta water. These plants include members of the grass family, like wheat, rye, and corn.”
Nathan Thorne, Horticulturist, Handy Flowers
1.2. How to Use Pasta Water?
Use the pasta water twice a week on most plants. Pasta water can be used after soaking for a minimum of five minutes. You can choose both bottom watering and misting for pasta water. While misting, mix pasta water with water. The ratio is 1:1. This can be used on any plants that need watering.
1.3. Is Pasta Water Beneficial for Plants?
Pasta is usually made of whole grains. Whole grains are rich in fibre, manganese, selenium, copper, and phosphorus. Refined pasta is also a good source of vitamin B and iron. Starch constitutes the central part of pasta. This starch has two components.
They are amylose and amylopectin. By applying heat, they become thick; hence, they are used as a thickening agent. Starch also enhances microbial activity in the soil. Thus, more nutrients can be made available to the plants. These microbes also help in preventing diseases that affect the plant’s roots.
1.4. Pasta Water and Succulents

Pasta water is an excellent substitute for pure water to water succulents and essential nutrients. Dilute pasta water before spraying on succulents. Succulents don’t prefer moist and cloggy soil. So always dilute before misting. Choose any spray bottle available at your home.
Spray bottles should be clean, and pasta water should be cut. Otherwise, it won’t spray effectively. You can spray on top of the plants and also spray the bottom side of the leaves. It is also beneficial to do misting on topsoil. Choose early mornings or late evenings for watering. So that plants can easily absorb them before they evaporate.
1.5. Advantages of Pasta Water
- It is a reusable kitchen waste.
- Pasta water is entirely organic.
- There is less cost of purchasing.
- They are eco-friendly and safe.
- Enrich valuable microbes in the soil.
- They can heal burns caused by the use of chemicals.
- It can be used either as bottom watering or as foliar spraying.
1.6. Functions of Water In Plants

Seed Germination – The process of creating a new plant from a plant seed is termed germination. Water softens the plant seeds by a process called imbibition.
Mechanical support – Water is transported via osmosis in plant cells. It creates a turgor pressure, which makes the plant body sturdy.
Photosynthesis – Photosynthesis converts light energy and carbon dioxide to oxygen and ATP in plants. It happens in the chloroplast, where chlorophyll is present.
Nutrient transport – All Essential nutrients are transported to plants with the help of water. The plant vascular system requires the presence of water for nutrient transport. The plant vascular system consists of the xylem and phloem, which transport nutrients. This process is mineral nutrition.
Transpiration – The process of losing water through plant stomata is called transpiration. The process brings down the temperature as they rise in plants.
Pasta Water for Plants: Pros, Cons, and Tips
Chrissie Handley, the Lawn Care Specialist at Online Turf, provides insights into real-world applications of using pasta water in gardening and permaculture systems:
“Using pasta water as part of your watering schedule has many positives- the water is full of nutrients from the starchy pasta and can provide your plants with potassium and calcium.
It’s also a great eco-friendly and cost-effective way of nurturing your plants- the water would otherwise go down the drain & it saves you money on expensive fertilizer.
Using pasta water seems good in theory but there are a few drawbacks- this should not be done as a permanent alteration to your watering schedule.
As with any fertilizer, using too much can harm rather than help the plant, it may unbalance your soil PH levels and provide an unstable base for your plants to thrive in.
The high sodium content can also attract unwanted pests and further damage the soil PH.
Furthermore, the nutrients provided to the plant will be beneficial, but they’re not all the essential needs for a thriving soil, so you still may have to use them in conjunction with other fertilizers.
To summarise, pasta water is best used infrequently and only when your lawn/ plants look like they could do with a boost. You may want to save the water in a jar every time you cook, let it cool, and then use it sparingly when needed.”

2. Method of Preparation of Pasta Water
Pasta measure can be used to measure any long pasta. Especially spaghetti and linguine. You can choose different loops for measuring one serving. Pasta water can be obtained in two ways. They are soaking and boiling.
2.1. Pasta Water From Soaking
Take uncooked pasta of your preference in a bowl. Add two cups of water for rinsing. Leave them as it is for 24 hours. Strain the pasta water the next day. You can also stir the water for thorough mixing. Pasta water is ready to use. This pasta water won’t be very thick.
2.2. Pasta Water From Boiling
Take uncooked pasta in a cooking pot. Add water and place in medium flame. Cook for 30-40 minutes. After cooking, stir well and strain the pasta water into a bowl. If the pasta water is thick, add water to dilute and then use. Pasta water from cooking pasta will have more nutrients as boiling helps release more nutrients.
3. Fermented Pasta Water
Fermented pasta water has its benefits. Pasta water, after fermentation, can act as a pesticide in some ways. The fermentation process increases the count of bacteria in the pasta water. The increased bacteria can enhance root health and growth. Fermented pasta water has an alcoholic smell.
Insects like flea beetles flies, and aphids get irritated by alcohol. Also, the alcoholic smell can keep other pests like snakes and iguanas away from the plants.
4. Precautions to Take Before Using Pasta Water
Firstly, be wary of using salted pasta water. Salted water can retard plant growth, affect nitrogen absorption and plant life. Always use unsalted pasta water.
If you add oil to the pasta to make it non-sticky, please don’t use it on plants. Oil will get heated up by sunlight and damage the plant.
Never use yeast to ferment pasta water. Yeast is a microorganism which can produce alcohol from sugars. If the alcohol concentration in pasta water increases, it may adversely affect the plant’s health.
Always prefer to use pasta water after cooling it down. Too much temperature can damage the roots.
Pasta Water: Eco-Friendly Plant Hydration Tips
Jeremy Yamaguchi, the CEO of Lawn Love, explains the benefits of using pasta water with precautions:
“I’m a big fan of using pasta water in my home garden. Using pasta water to hydrate your plants not only helps minimize water waste but also provides your plants with extra nutrients.
There are two main things to keep in mind when it comes to watering your plants with pasta water – make sure the water isn’t hot and don’t use it if there is salt in the water.
Hot and/or salted water will damage your plants, so it is best to let the water cool down before using it or simply discard it if it is salted.”

5. Other Starchy Water
Starch is essential for growth and metabolism. There are many sources of starch in our day-to-day kitchen essentials. Rice and potatoes are examples. The water used to cook them is a great source of different nutrients. Starch water is a good fertilizer for some plants. Their nutritional value is high.
5.1. Rice Water
Like leftover pasta water, rice water is also starchy water. Washing rice before cooking can get your rice water. You can use them directly for watering. Rice water can also be used after fermenting. Fermentation can increase the valuable microbes and benefit the plant positively. The rice dust formed from milling is rich in starch. They get dissolved in water once you wash them. The resulting residue is what we need.
5.2. Potato Water
Potatoes are rich in nutrients. They have nutrients like starch, iron, calcium etc. Potato water is not thick like rice water or pasta water. But are beneficial for plants. If you want to use it after fermenting, then apply the same procedures as pasta water. Boiling unpeeled potatoes can yield more nutrients.
5.3. Dry Noodles
They are the same as pasta water. Can be used fermented or directly. For fermentation, keep them in a container for three days. Don’t use yeast. But sugar and milk can be added for effective fermentation.
Utilizing Kitchen Scraps for Sustainable Gardening
Ryan Farley, the CEO of LawnStarter, evaluates the sustainability of using pasta water and offers alternative methods for eco-friendly gardening:
“Pasta water contains a few essential nutrients for your garden, so it can be a great and sustainable way to help fertilize and hydrate your plants rather than dumping this leftover water down the drain.
Lots of kitchen scraps are similarly advantageous for garden plants, due to their containing especially high levels of nitrogen, which is a great nutrient soil is often lacking.
Things like coffee grounds, fruit rinds, vegetable cuttings, etc, can all be great additions to your garden soil and help prevent food waste at the same time.”

6. Ways of Watering
There are different ways of watering a plant. Like misting, bottom watering etc. Each of the methods is unique and has its benefits. Depending on the water requirement of the plants choose one.
6.1. Misting

For misting, all you need is a spray bottle. The bottle should be cleaned well before using it. If you are taking starchy water inside the bottle, dilute it. Their thick consistency can clog the spraying tube inside the spray bottle. Misting can reduce the chance of over-watering. Even underneath the leaves can be watered using a misting method.
Final Thoughts
Pasta water for plants is a wise choice. They are a good source of starch. It also has a mild amount of NPK. Soil absorbs this organic fertilizer and enhances soil carbon metabolism. Pasta water is obtained by soaking pasta or boiling pasta. The pasta water obtained from boiling has more nutrients compared to soaking. Fermented starchy water has an alcoholic smell.
This alcoholic smell can keep snakes and lizards away. While using pasta water for watering, make sure they are not seasoned and oiled. Never use yeast for fermentation as they can increase the alcoholic content. Rice water and dry noodle water are other starchy water which can be used on plants.
FAQs
1. How long can you keep pasta water in the refrigerator for plants?
You can use them readily when it comes to room temperature. If you want to ferment it, the fermentation period is three days. Please keep them in the fridge, but not for over a week. Use them before it gets spoiled.
2. How good is pasta or rice water for plants?
Both pasta and rice water are good sources of different nutrients. You can use them directly on plants. Fermented rice or pasta water are more beneficial as they can increase soil microbial activity.
3. What can you do with pasta water?
The one purpose of leftover pasta water is it can be used as a substitute for watering. They can substitute for water and act as a mild fertilizer, too. They are rich in starch. Fermented pasta water can eliminate pests like fruit flies, plant lice, etc.
Guest Author: Saket Kumar
Last Updated on by Saket Kumar