Sparkling Water For Bigger, Quicker Plants?

[JoetheChro]

I’m sat at home watching daytime TV. Gardening segment comes up and there is someone stating due to the way it’s structured sparkling water is better for root and internal cell structure

Any scientists here want to have a go at explaining the above ???

 

[SmokingWings]

I have heard of this before but can not remember the details except something to do with minerals. I logged into the Asimov's Imperial Library on Tantor and Mr Google's top link was the SFGate which had a decent article on the basics. It is the carbon dioxide plus all the dissolved minerals and nutrients.

The study on using mineral water was done at the Colorado University Boulder in 2002. The published study is no longer available online but if someone has the time they should be able to find it using a 'wayback machine'. In the meantime it seems that many gardening sources are referencing the earlier study. I have not yet found anything saying that the study is wrong but that does not mean that the claim is not out there.

The most popular article is titled "How to Water Flowers With Sparkling Water" by Kathleen Marshall and was last updated on March 23, 2013 so if the SFGate (the online presence of the San Francisco Chronicle) goes under the article can still be tracked down.
How to Water Flowers With Sparkling Water

 

[Roy Growin]

I'm not a scientist but I know enough to know this idea is a load of bollocks
If a houseplant is regularly watered with tap water it is likely to benefit some carbolic acid short term, but...
The CO2 released into the root zone sits there unless you flush through with H2O2 to replenish the oxygen

 

[JoetheChro]

I'm not a scientist but I know enough to know this idea is a load of bollocks
If a houseplant is regularly watered with tap water it is likely to benefit some carbolic acid short term, but...
The CO2 released into the root zone sits there unless you flush through with H2O2 to replenish the oxygen

Come now Roy, I’m trying to open up scientific discussion. Plus it was Monty Don. I know you in the UK. The man is a national treasure

 

[Phytoplankton]

Short term it can promote growth, long term it will raise the PH of the soil until Calcium is locked out. Works better on plants that are adapted to alkaline soils.