Using Hydrogen Peroxide

[Thepizzaguy]

I was reading at another site that watering your plants with hydrogen peroxide help give the roots of a plant more oxygen, and in turn aid in growing.

Can anyone here confirm this?

While I'm thinking about it. I'll google it and see what I come up with and post the info....

[Thepizzaguy]

How Hydrogen Peroxide prevents root rot/over watering.

When plants are watered with H2O2 it will break down and release Oxygen into the area around the roots. This helps stop the Oxygen from being depleted in the water filled air spaces until air can get back into them. High Oxygen levels at the roots will encourage rapid healthy root growth. In a Hydroponic system H2O2 will disperse through out the system and raise Oxygen levels as it breaks down. Strong white healthy roots with lots of fuzzy new growth will be visible. This fuzzy growth has massive surface area allowing for rapid absorption of the huge amounts of water and nutrients needed for rapid top growth. A healthy plant starts with a healthy root system.

How to use it.

H2O2 comes in several different strengths 3%, 5%, 8% and 35%, also sold as food grade Hydrogen Peroxide. The most economical is 35% which we recommend be diluted to three percent before using. Three percent Hydrogen Peroxide may be added at up to three ml's per liter (2 1\2 tsp. Per gallon), but it is recommended that you start at a lower concentration and increase to full strength over a few weeks.

So, back to the question.

Has anyone here every used hydrogen peroxide to increase the amount of oxygen in your root system?

[koshiva]

I've never used hydrogen peroxide with watering but have heard about it a few times. Worth a try on a few test subjects huh?

One thing I think which could be beneficial for plants; plants grown in soil any way, is the temperature of the water. Ie 'watering with warm water is no doubt best'...cold water probably shocks the plants and hinders growth until the rootbacll heats up again....warm roots are happy roots.

Ok back on subject...kinda...to increase oxygenation, it wouldn't surprise me, that if you got a bucket of water, allowed that to become 'warm', and while it was sitting, pump oxygen through it via air stones and air pump....much of the oxygen will dissolve in the water and then be accessable to the roots straight away when you water.

Some water, particuarly water which has been sitting in pipes, or tanks, may be other wise 'stagnant', or more accurately devoid of oxygen....so pumping it up might just be very beneficial...just some thoughts is all.

[Blippy The Slug]

There is a caveat to using H2O2: it kills bacteria. Some of these bacteria are "normal flora" and neccessary for the breakdown of nutrients. (This is the same reason you sometimes get the runs when taking antibiotics) So is really a last resort type thing.

You can "re-innoculate" your soil if you have an aqauarium with an undergravel filter. Simply use a gravel-vac to suck up a load of mulm and use the mulm-laden water to water.

H2O2 is a "desperate fix", not a "daily regimen". It is used to get O2 to waterlogged roots. If you don't need it, don't use it.

Originally Posted by kosh

...to increase oxygenation, it wouldn't surprise me, that if you got a bucket of water, allowed that to become 'warm', and while it was sitting, pump oxygen through it via air stones and air pump....

I have one of those hose nozzle sprayers on my kitchen sink, and simply use that to violently agitate the water as I'm spraying it into the jug.

I used it on my first grow. It adds oxygen to the water, helps to increase root zone, good stuff imo.

[Thepizzaguy]

I have a couple plants that aren't doing so good They were started at same time as the 2 prize winners. I just think they've been over watered for their entire life, wrinkled leaves, short stubby growth, still flowering but definately in sad shape. If the soil ever dries, the runts my recover. Could be possible test subjects. Don't want to muss up the 2 decent plants.

The other issue I was reading is, if your solution is too strong, it will burn the plant.

I'm going to recommend you use Dr. Hornby's Piranha and Hornby's Tarantula. They're expensive, but well worth the money. They'll increase your rootzone to the point where overwaterings, don't really matter.


do a bit of research on those two products and mycorhizal (sp?) in general.


edit - blippy, I used Hydrogen Peroxide throughout a grow, and just like all nutes, it's best if used in moderation and if used too much will burn your plant(s).

[Blippy The Slug]

Originally Posted by Michigan_Militia

blippy, I used Hydrogen Peroxide throughout a grow, and just like all nutes, it's best if used in moderation and if used too much will burn your plant(s).

Diff'rent strokes and all that. If it worked for ya, more power to ya! I guess it's one of those things: it works very well in certain situations. I don't have anything bad to say about it, other than the anti-bacterial caution, and know that it is a useful tool. Just never realized it could be used on a regular basis. I still don't recommend that people start willy nilly watering their plants with peroxide for the fun of it, tho; only if it meets some specific need that's not being met in the current environment.

EDIT: I have too many living things in my soil for peroxide to be a viable option. But then again, because I have so many living things aerating my soil, I don't have a problem with O2 getting to my roots.

EDIT2: In the 2nd post, it mentions hydro. I can see it as a daily regimen in a hydro setup. I'm talking soil, tho.

[Thepizzaguy]

I ditched the H2O2 idea and removed the bad, over watered plants. One plant was weak with curled up leaves. It was beyond repair. The second plant actually looked like it was about to come out of it, but again it wasn't an ideal specimen, as if anyone of my plants is. So I took a different route.

When I started indoors, and I'm sure the post is here somewhere, following the crap I posted about some lawsuit, which I will update in a minute, I was using a bookcase. I shut it down at some point and built a large box. I decided that since I now have 2 18-24 inch plants, I would like to start more. I set up the bookcase and started 6 more seeds.

About the lawsuit. It's up for an Arbitration hearing on the 22nd. My lawyer is handling it. He has hinted at 500K, and sorry to say, the math turns it into 150K after taxes and expenses, lawyer fees. I'm really hoping for more considering the weird stuff. The ONLY thing that is certain is that I am due an award and have the right to reject it.

About going off topic. I'm sorry. I'm not high and haven;t been for a while. This may be the only time in last 10 years where I would pass a drug test. I think everyone is entitled to being off topic from time to time.

Back to the subject. I think H2O2 is best used in a hydro set up, as a potential fix for over watered plants, and as a disinfectant. So people clean their equipment before and after each grow to remove unwanted elements, such as mold.

If anyone says they're going to go with a watering of H2O2 for a soil grow, I would like to read about it, and see the results.

Good Luck!