Hydrogen Peroxide Foliar Spray

I've hear some good things about using hydrogen peroxide in a foliar spray but don't know what dilution rate to use. Does anyone out there have experience using it?

I've got the industrial strength 35% H2O2 as well as the 3% drug store stuff. How did you use it? Is it good for general usage on healthy plants or more for knocking back powdery mildew, mites and other nasty stuff? Do you need to let it sit for awhile before using it?

Thanks!
 

ataxia

Well-Known Member
my experience with it was with a spray with the 3 percent solution for PM. It worked well ..and did no damage. I can't imagine what benefits it has other than to raise PH levels of the leaf and maybe give the plant a little O2 boost....
 

Hillcrest

Active Member
3% = Dilution rate.

FACTS & INFO:

Plants need 02 for repiration just like animals. Plants have wonderous systems to move liquids but, this system doesn't participate in moving the gases. Almost everyone is aware of how the Co2 is taken into the plant in the leaves through the stomata.Leaves are well equiped to take are of their own gas exchanges. The distance these gases must diffuse in the plants is extremely small. Every living cell in the plant is relatively close to the surface. This arrangement is fairly obivious in leaves. The other living cells are just below the surface of the bark. Most of the living cells have at least part of their surface exposed to the ambient air. The loose packing of these cells in the parenchyma are interconnected with air space. Gases diffuse through these air spaces thousands of times more effeciently then through liquids. When the gases, 02 or C02 reach these air pockets they diffuse rapidly and efficiently.They also pass through the cell walls and plasma membranes by a method called diffusion. The plasma membranes are aided by aquaporin channels in them. The bark of the plants have tiny openings called linticels that expose the interior living cells to the outside alowing for the exchange of gases as needed. On many plants the green limbs are as important in photosynthesis as the the leaves are. Many plants deprived of free flowing 02 at their roots drown. Also this deprivation of 02 impedes water or mineral uptake. The uptake of gases is less aggressive in plants than in animals because all of the lliving cells of the plants are distributed under the bark and exposed to the the air.
The plant will choose and select the gas they need to survive in a given situation. If they need 02 for repiration thats what the cells will use. If they need Co2 for photosynthesis thats what they will use although both gases will be availabe to them at the same time. The plants obtain 02 by Direct contact



Submitted to: Proceedings of Horticultural Industry Show
Publication Type: Proceedings/Symposium
Publication Acceptance Date: February 8, 2007
Publication Date: May 1, 2007
Citation: Webber III, C.L., Sandtner, S.J., Webber, C.L. 2007. Hydrogen peroxide as a soil amendment for greenhouse nasturtium production (Tropaeolum majus L.). Proceedings of Horticultural Industry Show. 26:140-144.


Interpretive Summary:
Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, occurs naturally in animals and plants, and can help protect plants from diseases or signal the plant concerning stress. In addition to its use as a disinfectant for humans and in water purification, hydrogen peroxide is approved for the control of plant diseases. Hydrogen peroxide is used to control diseases on plant leaves, roots, and cuttings. The soil can also be treated with hydrogen peroxide before a plant is started in the soil. There are also common reports that hydrogen peroxide provides additional growth benefits beyond its ability to control diseases and help the plant deal with stress. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of soil applications of hydrogen peroxide solutions on plant growth and flowering. Container grown nasturtium seedlings cv. Scarlet Glean Improved were irrigated with either distilled water, tap water, or hydrogen peroxide solutions. The hydrogen peroxide treatments included adding 1.3, 13, or 26 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of distilled water. Distilled water was used to be sure there wasn"t something else in the water that was helping or hurting the plants. Hydrogen peroxide applications did affect the nasturtium leaves, stems, roots, and flowers. Nasturtium leaves and stems, and the total plant (leaves, stems and roots) dry weight were greater when using 1.3 teaspoons/gallon than the 13 teaspoon/gallon. Twenty-six teaspoons/gallon resulted in more root growth than using 1.3 teaspoons/gallon. Flowering was also better when using 1.3 teaspoons/gallon than either 13 or 26 teaspoons/gallon. The results indicate that watering with 1.3 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide/gallon of distilled water did provide growth and flowering benefits to nasturtiums grown in containers, although the results were not as great as the non-scientific reports would suggest. The difference between our results and what many people generally report may be the benefit of hydrogen peroxide decreasing or eliminating diseases in the soil containers rather than it directly helping the plant grow better.

Technical Abstract: Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2, is a highly reactive oxidizing agent naturally occurring in plants and animals. Plants produce hydrogen peroxide to destroy either infected plant cells or the pathogens within a plant. Hydrogen peroxide also acts as a stress signal to plants. It is approved for the control of microbial pests, fungi and bacterial that cause plant diseases and it is applied as a foliar spray, as a dip for cuttings and roots, and as a pre-planting soil treatment to prevent or control plant pathogens. There are also anecdotal reports that hydrogen peroxide provides additional growth benefits beyond its actions related to plant infection or plant stress. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of soil applications of hydrogen peroxide solutions on plant growth and flowering. Container grown nasturtium cv. Scarlet Glean Improved seedlings were irrigated with either distilled water, tap water, or hydrogen peroxide solutions. The hydrogen peroxide treatments included 0.005% H2O2 (1X), 0.05% H2O2 (10X), and 0.1% H2O2 (20X), which are equivalent to 1.3, 13, and 26 tsp/gallon of 3% hydrogen peroxide. The foliage and root fresh and dry weights harvested at 22 days after initiating treatment (DAIT) and the fresh weights at 33 DIAT were not significantly different as a result of the hydrogen peroxide concentrations. Hydrogen peroxide concentrations significantly impacted the foliage, root, and total dry weights at 33 DAIT. The 1X concentration of hydrogen peroxide produced significantly greater amounts of nasturtium foliage and total plant dry weights at 33 DAIT compared to the 10X concentration, but it was not significantly different from the distilled and tap water applications. The 20X root dry weights were significantly greater than all other treatments except the 1X hydrogen concentration. The 1X concentration produced significantly greater total number of flowers than either the 10X or 20X concentrations and 64 and 57% greater numbers of flowers than the distilled and tap water treatments. The results indicate that watering nasturtiums at the tested hydrogen peroxide applications rates did provide slight growth and flowering benefits to nasturtiums grown in containers, although the results were not as great as anecdotal reports would suggest. The most likely explanation for the anecdotal reports of dramatic growth stimulus of hydrogen peroxide watering solutions may be a result of hydrogen peroxide decreasing or eliminating diseases in the soil containers rather than it serving as a direct stimulus to the plant.
 
Hillcrest, that's an interesting study, thanks for posting. Of course they were studying adding H2O2 to soil, not using it as a foliar spray.

I can't make sense of this line:
The 1X concentration of hydrogen peroxide produced significantly greater amounts of nasturtium foliage and total plant dry weights at 33 DAIT compared to the 10X concentration, but it was not significantly different from the distilled and tap water applications.
So the 1X concentation was better than the 10X concentration, but no better than plain water? Then they go on to say it is beneficial but only slightly:
The 1X concentration produced significantly greater total number of flowers than either the 10X or 20X concentrations and 64 and 57% greater numbers of flowers than the distilled and tap water treatments.... [H2O2] did provide slight growth and flowering benefits
How does a 64 and 57% increase in flowers boil down to a slight benefit?

My take away is that watering with 1.3 teaspoons/gallon of drug store H2O2 will benefit my plants but not much. Am I missing something?
 

Hillcrest

Active Member
My take away is that watering with 1.3 teaspoons/gallon of drug store H2O2 will benefit my plants but not much. Am I missing something?How does a 64 and 57% increase in flowers boil down to a slight benefit?
NO you ain't missing anything. H2O2 is beneficial but not to the degree people believe. Under certain conditions it can be used to great benefit such as disease prevention.... as it's a preventative method and not a cure you'll never actualy know if you've benefitted ;) .
A plant will take in oxgen ANYWAY IT CAN...ROOTs...LEAF ....BRANCHEs, so foliar spray will work just the same as soil application.
H2O2 QUICKLY breaks down so if trying to use H2O2 to increase oxygen at the root you need to add very regular to gain any benefit, which ain't a good thing. I know many growers who using NFT .. where most NFT users would normally add H2O2 to the tank these guys and gals only spray and achieve from what I see... great results and seem to suffer less from root disease than your average NFT user.
MIX AND USE IMMEDIATELY
H2O2 in ebb and flow, flood and drain or any system where the H2O2 is NOT incontact with the plant IMMEDIATELY after mixing is USELESS.

An increase in flowers of just above 50% for Nasturtiums (on which this study was carried out on) is seen as not a great benefit as this can be achieve quite easily in simplier ways and at greater percentages. The increase in flowers doers not occurr for cannabis to this degree, but aiding a plant to obtain O2 WILL increase yeild to some degree, this is not ness directly related to the O2 but more the general health of the plant which is promoted by the O2 ... or CO2 for that matter.


If not using H2O2 for disease control prevention or cleaning...... BUY AN AIR PUMP.... WELL airated water/nutes just as beneficial amd a pump is cheaper and safer.
 
Ok, thanks for clarifying.

So with a foliar spray I think I'm hearing you say you can use 1.3 teaspoon/gallon without damaging your plants?
 
I've hear some good things about using hydrogen peroxide in a foliar spray but don't know what dilution rate to use. Does anyone out there have experience using it?

I've got the industrial strength 35% H2O2 as well as the 3% drug store stuff. How did you use it? Is it good for general usage on healthy plants or more for knocking back powdery mildew, mites and other nasty stuff? Do you need to let it sit for awhile before using it?

Thanks!
Try this chart. http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.com/gardening-with-hydrogen-peroxide.html
 

missnu

Well-Known Member
The study found it to be no more beneficial than water, unless you used a lot in which case water was better... So to me the study found that you should mist your plants with water every once in awhile.
 

PetFlora

Well-Known Member
H2O2 is water with an extra oxygen molecule. Parasites, viruses and most non-healthy things cannot live in an oxygen rich environment. High concentration (>20%) of H2O2 will burn the shit out of you! Imagine what it can do to your plant, so be careful. To dilute 35% food grade to 3% mix 1 part H2O2 to 11 parts pure water. I read where 'they' are watching who is buying it these days. Not sure why though. You can buy 30-40% from most local beauty supply companies. These brands have some preservative in them, but once diluted to 3% I don't think it's a big deal. It's certainly a hell of a lot cheaper.
 

graab187

Active Member
how should i use H2o2 with my new 3 week old vegging plants? as a foliar, soil, AND i also have DWC. what should i do with h202
 

Hotwired

Well-Known Member
I am going to try this on my clones due to a fungus like problem. I'll let you know if it works.
 

NewbyGrower77

Active Member
I used 3% hydrogen peroxide with 3 part of water and sterilize my soil...i hear it kills some good bacteria as well..but i mainly focus on sterlizing. (i am unable to use a oven too) Heard lot of good things about hydrogen peroxide..
 

Kingrow1

Well-Known Member
I used 3% hydrogen peroxide with 3 part of water and sterilize my soil...i hear it kills some good bacteria as well..but i mainly focus on sterlizing. (i am unable to use a oven too) Heard lot of good things about hydrogen peroxide..

You need to stop doing stupid things and step the funk away from threads suggesting anything but simple grow methods.

:-)
 

Dr. Who

Well-Known Member
Good lord. Lets just pour things into my soil that kill everything I really want in my soil!

Gets more O2 to the roots? Not at the cost to my soil!

Want more O2 to your roots?

Learn to water a metered amount daily at lights on! Now your getting more O2 to your roots.

As Far as PM "killing" goes.... PM gets into the plant. Topical treatments kill off the spores and any above the surface fungal structure.
Those little "roots" of the PM in the plant....Grow right back in about a week to 2 weeks. Depends on what you treat with..
Other choices are better...
 

NewbyGrower77

Active Member
You need to stop doing stupid things and step the funk away from threads suggesting anything but simple grow methods.

:-)

Hi ,

This was my 4th grow. I am living in a island. Here people lives around 40,000 its a remote area...we are poor.. So there we can't buy anything locally...i could import HLG 288 2X lights and tent..but not soil.

Last 4 times i could get 200 grams least but this time single seed could not germinate. (i know basic as a newbie ..but i have no option even soil)

For past 14days i coudnt save single germinated seedling ..not even pop up..so i thought the reason is fungi...if i am doing stupid ..(i know it sounds stupid) can you guide me to practical way with what i have got ?

I have fully A/C room /// Tent /// HLG q288 lights and 4 times grow expeinrce... Damn this time its like a curse ...after germinated seeds it won't pop up
 

tyke1973

Well-Known Member
Good lord. Lets just pour things into my soil that kill everything I really want in my soil!

Gets more O2 to the roots? Not at the cost to my soil!

Want more O2 to your roots?

Learn to water a metered amount daily at lights on! Now your getting more O2 to your roots.

As Far as PM "killing" goes.... PM gets into the plant. Topical treatments kill off the spores and any above the surface fungal structure.
Those little "roots" of the PM in the plant....Grow right back in about a week to 2 weeks. Depends on what you treat with..
Other choices are better...
Must admit i thought the same,The only reason i would use something like that is if i had to ,because of a problem.But if the plants have healthy roots and are looking good leave em be.
 
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