Using hydrogen peroxide solution on my trees.

[Emeraldtarpon]

Hi all,
I thought id bring up the subject of hydrogen peroxide on plants.Ive had excellent results with this stuff over the past 20 odd years
and i wanted to share the benefits of using it on my bonsai etc.

‏Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula H202. Surprisingly, it contains one extra oxygen molecule than water.
This extra oxygen molecule creates a strong and powerful oxidizer that’s capable of killing bacteria and viruses. ‏

When it comes to plants‏, an HP solution is much more beneficial than just plain water. You may have noticed
that plants respond better to rainwater than tap water.
One of the reasons for this is that rain water contains more oxygen than tap water. ‏
‏Interestingly, HP replicates the natural substance found in raindrops that is so good for plants so when applied, your plants will soak it up
the same way they do with rainwater (i always notice a boost to the foliage colour after use).‏

‏So, just like rainwater, HP releases and supplies oxygen to the plants and the soil. ‏
‏It supports the health and growth of plants and the extra oxygen molecule in HP is what encourages healthy root growth.‏
‏HP, when mixed at a higher rate, also has the ability to eliminate soil fungus, spores, and mould.
It also works very well on fungus gnats AND their eggs. Just give the soil a good soaking with your HP solution,let the soil dry somewhat and
repeat the process if necessary.
HP also works very well on red spider mite.The oxidizing action of the extra oxygen molecule dessicates them and it breaks down the protein encasing their eggs too...win win.
It has also been my experience that seed strike rates and germination time improve when using HP.
Either soak the seed in an HP solution prior to sewing or alternatively, water the seeds in with it (at the 1/. mix rate mentioned below‏).
It really is awesome stuff and it costs bugger all.It has so many advantages when used on your bonsai trees...and remember, the key to its use is always
MODERATION.

Can hydrogen peroxide hurt plants you ask?
‏HP will only hurt plants if the solution is not diluted down or is too strong. Another reason it could cause harm is by using too large quantities
of the product. Therefore, using hydrogen peroxide on plants will not hurt them as long as the solution is sufficiently diluted, and you use it in moderation. ‏

‏How much hydrogen peroxide for plants?‏
‏When using hydrogen peroxide on plants, for most purposes, you should use the same 3% solution that you use in the home. You can find this potency in most
supermarkets and chemists.
You can also buy a 35% solution but ive never used this as i find it easier and less dangerous to use the 3% product.

I have great success by mixing at the following rates (3% solution)....

1/.General spritzing, boost to overall health (can be used with a mist sprayer for a direct foliage hit or applied directly to the soil) and seed germination.
2 x plastic coke cola bottle cap to 1 litre of water.

2/. For root rot,mould,fungus and pests -
1 x plastic coke bottle cap of hydrogen peroxide to 250ml water.

I tend to go just a little on the lean side with the mix rates so a higher dosage is probably ok but i would experiment first of course.
I get awesome results with the current mix rates mentioned above.

And ALWAYS remember (as with anything) MODERATION is the KEY. I use HP every 3rd to 4th watering and the results are A1.

Cheers all - Emeraldtarpon.

 

[penumbra]

Hi all,
I thought id bring up the subject of hydrogen peroxide on plants.Ive had excellent results with this stuff over the past 20 odd years
and i wanted to share the benefits of using it on my bonsai etc.

‏Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula H202. Surprisingly, it contains one extra oxygen molecule than water.
This extra oxygen molecule creates a strong and powerful oxidizer that’s capable of killing bacteria and viruses. ‏

When it comes to plants‏, an HP solution is much more beneficial than just plain water. You may have noticed
that plants respond better to rainwater than tap water.
One of the reasons for this is that rain water contains more oxygen than tap water. ‏
‏Interestingly, HP replicates the natural substance found in raindrops that is so good for plants so when applied, your plants will soak it up
the same way they do with rainwater (i always notice a boost to the foliage colour after use).‏

‏So, just like rainwater, HP releases and supplies oxygen to the plants and the soil. ‏
‏It supports the health and growth of plants and the extra oxygen molecule in HP is what encourages healthy root growth.‏
‏HP, when mixed at a higher rate, also has the ability to eliminate soil fungus, spores, and mould.
It also works very well on fungus gnats AND their eggs. Just give the soil a good soaking with your HP solution,let the soil dry somewhat and
repeat the process if necessary.
HP also works very well on red spider mite.The oxidizing action of the extra oxygen molecule dessicates them and it breaks down the protein encasing their eggs too...win win.
It has also been my experience that seed strike rates and germination time improve when using HP.
Either soak the seed in an HP solution prior to sewing or alternatively, water the seeds in with it (at the 1/. mix rate mentioned below‏).
It really is awesome stuff and it costs bugger all.It has so many advantages when used on your bonsai trees...and remember, the key to its use is always
MODERATION.

Can hydrogen peroxide hurt plants you ask?
‏HP will only hurt plants if the solution is not diluted down or is too strong. Another reason it could cause harm is by using too large quantities
of the product. Therefore, using hydrogen peroxide on plants will not hurt them as long as the solution is sufficiently diluted, and you use it in moderation. ‏

‏How much hydrogen peroxide for plants?‏
‏When using hydrogen peroxide on plants, for most purposes, you should use the same 3% solution that you use in the home. You can find this potency in most
supermarkets and chemists.
You can also buy a 35% solution but ive never used this as i find it easier and less dangerous to use the 3% product.

I have great success by mixing at the following rates (3% solution)....

1/.General spritzing, boost to overall health (can be used with a mist sprayer for a direct foliage hit or applied directly to the soil) and seed germination.
2 x plastic coke cola bottle cap to 1 litre of water.

2/. For root rot,mould,fungus and pests -
1 x plastic coke bottle cap of hydrogen peroxide to 250ml water.

I tend to go just a little on the lean side with the mix rates so a higher dosage is probably ok but i would experiment first of course.
I get awesome results with the current mix rates mentioned above.

And ALWAYS remember (as with anything) MODERATION is the KEY. I use HP every 3rd to 4th watering and the results are A1.

Cheers all - Emeraldtarpon.

Thank you for sharing your H2O2 experiences. You will find a lot of us here use peroxide and you might want to look up past discussions in the archives.
I personally use rates at higher concentrations than you advise, but of course it is best to be cautious and I can appreciate that.
In seed germination, not only does it soften the seed coat a bit to help the radicle emerge, it also helps loosen the flesh of berries and drupes to allow for easier seed cleaning while sterilizing the seed surface. It also prevents mold from forming on seeds being stratified.
In the case a preventing or curing root rot, it is superlative and I have used it thus to great advantage. And as you have stated, it is useful for helping with spider mites and fungus gnats both as a curative and especially as a preventative.
I use the 3% drugstore variety too and I am looking at 4 bottles now. I guess I better go pick up a few more soon.
I also use it for personal health issues like dental hygiene, and several household chores. I wash all my fresh fruits and vegetables with a peroxide solution and I pour it full strength down the drain to eliminate smells and to help keep drains clear while supplying an aerrobic best for my septic system. There are a lot more uses but I will stop here because this is about plants.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Huh - this whole discussion is interesting to me - ive not thought about it. I’d definitely stay away from higher than the standard pharmacy 3% though - you’ll find it’s much much more corrosive and you’ll definitely damage something (plant or yourself). The reactivity of peroxide does not scale linearly because it undergoes a bimolecular decomposition route (we call it SN2) to evolve oxygen. This as the name implies requires two molecules of peroxide to approach each other so scales by the square with higher concentrations in solution.

 

[Emeraldtarpon]

Thank you for sharing your H2O2 experiences. You will find a lot of us here use peroxide and you might want to look up past discussions in the archives.
I personally use rates at higher concentrations than you advise, but of course it is best to be cautious and I can appreciate that.
In seed germination, not only does it soften the seed coat a bit to help the radicle emerge, it also helps loosen the flesh of berries and drupes to allow for easier seed cleaning while sterilizing the seed surface. It also prevents mold from forming on seeds being stratified.
In the case a preventing or curing root rot, it is superlative and I have used it thus to great advantage. And as you have stated, it is useful for helping with spider mites and fungus gnats both as a curative and especially as a preventative.
I use the 3% drugstore variety too and I am looking at 4 bottles now. I guess I better go pick up a few more soon.
I also use it for personal health issues like dental hygiene, and several household chores. I wash all my fresh fruits and vegetables with a peroxide solution and I pour it full strength down the drain to eliminate smells and to help keep drains clear while supplying an aerrobic best for my septic system. There are a lot more uses but I will stop here because this is about plants.

Youre welcome penumbra...this stuff is amazing to say the least.
Its really good to hear a lot of nutters are onto the benefits of HP...and im not suprised to be honest.
I was wondering....at what rate do you mix yours?

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

The rainwater having more oxygen may be from ozone actually - the smell after a thunderstorm is ozone and ozone reacts to oxidize water to peroxide. Interesting stuff - I feel like adding peroxide would be something I’d never think to do but it makes sense if dilute.

 

[Clicio]

Thank you for sharing your H2O2 experiences. You will find a lot of us here use peroxide and you might want to look up past discussions in the archives.
I personally use rates at higher concentrations than you advise, but of course it is best to be cautious and I can appreciate that.
In seed germination, not only does it soften the seed coat a bit to help the radicle emerge, it also helps loosen the flesh of berries and drupes to allow for easier seed cleaning while sterilizing the seed surface. It also prevents mold from forming on seeds being stratified.
In the case a preventing or curing root rot, it is superlative and I have used it thus to great advantage. And as you have stated, it is useful for helping with spider mites and fungus gnats both as a curative and especially as a preventative.
I use the 3% drugstore variety too and I am looking at 4 bottles now. I guess I better go pick up a few more soon.
I also use it for personal health issues like dental hygiene, and several household chores. I wash all my fresh fruits and vegetables with a peroxide solution and I pour it full strength down the drain to eliminate smells and to help keep drains clear while supplying an aerrobic best for my septic system. There are a lot more uses but I will stop here because this is about plants.

I know this question has been raised up before - @0soyoung answered if I am not wrong - but will the peroxide in those low percentage dilutions be harmful to mychorrizae specilly in pines?
I´ve been using it for years, but always avoiding it hitting the soil on pines and junipers.

 

[A. Gorilla]

H202 donates an electro-negative oxygen, which hungrily looks for something to react with. It's not the O2 we breathe.

Issues up top, ok.

Why do we want to be killing stuff in our substrate?

This is wishful thinking weirdness.

 

[Bob Hunter]

I use Zerotol it's expense but worth it.



ZeroTol 2.0 is a broad-spectrum bactericide/fungicide that works on contact. ZeroTol 2.0 is formulated with our powerful and stable peroxycompound chemistry. Use ZeroTol 2.0 during propagation through finished crops to protect all greenhouse and nursery crops, including fruits and vegetables. ZeroTol 2.0 is a sustainable chemistry proven to reduce plant pathogens like botrytis, powdery mildew, xanthomonas and many more.

ZeroTol 2.0 can be used for multiple applications. Landscapers can use ZeroTol 2.0 as a fungicide on bedding plants, flowering plants, roses, ornamentals, nursery stock, trees, turf, bulbs, cuttings, seedlings, seeds and seedbeds to create and maintain healthy gardens. ZeroTol 2.0 also protects all types of turf such as back yards, residential lawns, commercial turf, athletic fields, and golf courses. ZeroTol 2.0 can also control algae build up on hard surfaces such as concrete walkways.

ZeroTol 2.0 not only controls disease but kills the spores that create bacteria, algae, and fungus, preventing further disease contamination.

* Can be used around people, animals, pets, birds and other wildlife

* Works on Contact to Kill Disease and Pathogens

* Environmentally-Responsible, Sustainable Chemistry

* No Toxic Residual Left Behind

 

[Ply]

‏Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula H202. Surprisingly, it contains one extra oxygen molecule than water.
This extra oxygen molecule creates a strong and powerful oxidizer that’s capable of killing bacteria and viruses. ‏

I have no experience with the use of hydrogen peroxide for any purpose, but just for the sake of good chemistry:

H₂O₂ contain one more oxygen atom than water H₂O does.

O = Oxygen atom.
O₂ = Oxygen molecule, the stuff we breath in, which consists of two oxygen atoms.
H₂O = Water (molecule), consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
H₂O₂ = Hydrogen peroxide, consistists of two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms.

Carry on.

 

[penumbra]

H202 donates an electro-negative oxygen

I know enough chemistry to know that oxygen is an electronegative element. That is the space it resides in on the periodic table. If it wasn't, there would be no water, or life.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide on Plant Growth, Photosynthesis, Leaf Histology and Rubisco Gene Expression of the Ficus deltoidea Jack Var. deltoidea Jack - Journal of Plant Growth Regulation

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the growth, photosynthesis, leaf histology, mineral uptake, phytochemical accumulation, and Rubisco gene expression in Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea, a slow growing medicinal plant. The F. deltoidea...

link.springer.com

For those more interested in a technical discussion

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide on Plant Growth, Photosynthesis, Leaf Histology and Rubisco Gene Expression of the Ficus deltoidea Jack Var. deltoidea Jack - Journal of Plant Growth Regulation

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the growth, photosynthesis, leaf histology, mineral uptake, phytochemical accumulation, and Rubisco gene expression in Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea, a slow growing medicinal plant. The F. deltoidea...

link.springer.com

For those more interested in a technical discussion

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163176/ there’s more for sure but some interesting stuff. As expected lots is bad but the chemistry and biology of small amounts is interesting.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Again we approach the Hydrogen peroxide discussion.

@FreshAirSunshine good reference. You are a bit late to the party, but what the hey. We’ve posted similar articles before, but another is always good to have.

As mentioned in the past, at our place we use 3% H2O2 extensively here. It does work well. Concentrations of 1-2 TBSP / Qt as a preventative (15-30ml.) About 4 ml can cause damage to leaves. 1 TBSP/Qt works good on seedlings and knocks down fungus gnats is started from the gitgo.

A Coke bottle cap is a very strange measurement, but handy if you want to drink a cold Coke while mixing chemicals and using the cap a measuring tool, (BTW drinking and mixing is universally frowned upon). It’s about 5 ml. A Tablespoon is 15 ml. So as @penumbra mentioned, OP is using lower concentrations then most folks here.

Safe chemicals and the environment is somewhat of an oxymoron. The powers that be have regulated that all chemicals must have an SDS = Safety Data Sheet.

One should always get an SDS before one uses a product. The labels often are not complete. Labels are not complete data.

Just for fun let’s look at the two chemicals in question

3% H2O2 SDS - as sold in drug stores

ZeroTol 2.0 - as sold Note it contains H2O2, also Peroxyacetic and Acetic Acid,

Note the hazard levels 1-4 4 being the highest.

cheers
DSD sends

 

[Maiden69]

I use it to prevent fungus and bacteria in the grow tent, and recently to kill/control the green algae in my bald cypress water.

 

[Hack Yeah!]

Does anyone have the proper conversion rates from coke caps to beer caps handy?

Jk of course, thanks @Emeraldtarpon for the reminder

 

[Emeraldtarpon]

I should have used "Captain Coke Cap" as my forum name

 

[August44]

I guess I still don't know if the mention doses of H2O2 will do harm to Mycorrhiza or anything else in the soil that the trees might like.

 

[hemmy]

This extra oxygen molecule creates a strong and powerful oxidizer that’s capable of killing bacteria and viruses.

But at your suggested rates does it also kill the good bacteria in our mix? Some are using probiotic live bacteria for bonsai and some organic fertilizers have bacteria.

 

[nuttiest]

I guess I still don't know if the mention doses of H2O2 will do harm to Mycorrhiza or anything else in the soil that the trees might like.

I wonder about it too, like what % could be used as a full root drench with submersion. Is there oxidative damage to root hairs? Will it actually kill phytopthora or armillarea? There are fungices for drench usage that have research on how much biome is affected, but not much on the peroxide.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

That’s an interesting, yet deceptively simple question to a very complicated scenario… why?

Because it depends on what one is using the H2O2 for….also because plants actually create H2O2 which is used for many purposes i.e. growth regulation, stress response, etc. and possibly as a phytohormone.

Confused? Me too.

Before continuing one must remember ‘good microbes‘ (most common types of microbes are bacteria, viruses and fungi) vastly outnumber the ’bad or pathogenic microbes’. It’s only when conditions in one’s media are such that a bad microbe can fight it’s way through all the competition from the ‘good microbes’ and spread wildly that a disease exists. This often happens when a tree becomes weak or damaged.

(This mostly happens by what I call “Overs and Unders“. For example over: fertilizing, watering, expose to heat, temperature extremes etc, or under: watering, nourishing etc…. ). Get the idea?

1. The most common use of H2O2 is as a spray on leaves and stems of plants. H2O2’s lifetime at that concentration is a maybe 5-10 seconds… and yes it will oxidize (kill) anything it can ‘touch’ in that time. Yet that’s a good thing as this will cause a reboot of the microbial community outside the plant ….and the odds are very high that any pathogenic microbes will end up being rendered ineffective by competition from all of the “good” microbes around.

2. H2O2 is also used in emergent situations and also as an occasional drench. Say it’s used as a drench. At the concentrations I mentioned in this thread the H2O2 would have a lifespan of likely less then 10-15 seconds.

It’s highly doubtful in this time the H2O2 would penetrate through the media work across the 3mm (est) rhizoplane outside the root boundary… and stay long enough to affect the all endomycorrhizae, bacteria etc residing inside these inner areas.

(btw some folks believe the bacteria etc. is much more important in most trees then mycorrhizae. Yet each of these microbes plays a part in helping transport nutrients into the plant roots and wastes outside.).

So in this example a core community of the key microbes within the tree likely will remain intact. Any microbes in the media outside the rhizoplane the H2O2 will be destroyed. Thus the microbial community outside will end up being rebooted, with the odds high against any pathogens dominating the community as there are some many “good microbes‘ then bad ones.

3. Even if all of the good and bad microbes are killed off inside the roots…..( there still are some microbes inside the tree) once again as long as the plant is not weakened or damaged the microbial community will reboot within a few days and the new community of microbes in the rhizosphere will move on reestablishing the beneficial relationship with the tree.

(This is not recommended!) Consider, being an inquisitive person, I rootwashed an azalea with root rot that had very few effective roots. I sprayed the roots with 3% H2O2 directly out of the bottle, then planted the azalea in the ground. The azalea flourished and is in a bonsai pot now… see this thread.

….That’s all folks. I hope I covered all the salient points in an easy as possible way so folks will understand my thoughts. If not, jump in and add or correct things with factual information please.

cheers
DSD sends