water softener

Hi.This is my first post and I will be grateful for ANY help. My daughter has a large garden and when I retired kindly let me have a large plot to grow veg which I have done for the last 4 years. My knowledge was very limited but most things grew at first.
Then the family had a water softener installed and I was unaware that it also included the outside tap so for the past 3 years I have been watering with artificially softened water!!
I cannot change the system and now almost everything except potatoes and runner beans die.
It may not be the water but nothing else has changed.
I always dig in my own compost but this could be making things worse.
The plot had not been used for veg before I started.
Will digging in horse manure help?
Sorry for the long post.
Ron

Hi Ronfid,

Unfortunately, most water softeners use salt to 'soften' the water, and a small amount will remain in the water.  Can you re-plumb the outside tap to take the water before it gets to the softener?

Mags

Query with a plumber about the problem.  Even with a new kitchen, under the kitchen sink are a lot of pipes.  One of them should be a fresh water pipe.

Hi Ronfid,

Unfortunately, most water softeners use salt to 'soften' the water, and a small amount will remain in the water.  Can you re-plumb the outside tap to take the water before it gets to the softener?

Mags

We had a water softener installed and the plumber bypassed the outside tap for me. So now, when I do use the hose, (which isn't very often) it's ordinary water. So good idea Auntiemogs

Thanks to everyone for your help and advice. It is possible that the water softener isn't the problem but the RHS say not to use softened water but it is interesting that not all plants are affected. If it was my house I would bypass the softener but I can't so I will do a soil test - put in a water butt and fill my daughters driveway with a load of manure!!
Happy digging.
Cheers
Ron