Using Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)

I'm telling you guys, without a doubt, I use it all the time and I've NEVER had any problem with the store bought 3%. H2O2 is a preventative additive. If your roots aren't white, add some H2O2. I use about 1mL to 5mL per gallon (1mL if you do it every 2 days, 5mL every 5 to 7 days), and my roots are healthy and massive.

All of the arguments against the "dirty" 3% are without basis. H2O2 is not for pH regulation, it is for keeping fungus, disease, bacteria, etc. from overrunning your reservoir. Anyone who wants to debate the 3% being crap, give me some facts that will change my mind, when I use it, and everything is copacetic.

Happy Growing!

wilsoncr17 said:

I'm telling you guys, without a doubt, I use it all the time and I've NEVER had any problem with the store bought 3%. H2O2 is a preventative additive. If your roots aren't white, add some H2O2. I use about 1mL to 5mL per gallon (1mL if you do it every 2 days, 5mL every 5 to 7 days), and my roots are healthy and massive.

All of the arguments against the "dirty" 3% are without basis. H2O2 is not for pH regulation, it is for keeping fungus, disease, bacteria, etc. from overrunning your reservoir. Anyone who wants to debate the 3% being crap, give me some facts that will change my mind, when I use it, and everything is copacetic.

Happy Growing!

Click to expand...

well the 3%Hydrogen peroxide is usually stabilized with acetanilide. Acetanilide is a synthetic compound that was first used for its fever reduction and pain killing properties in the late Nineteenth Century. For many years it was utilized as an alternative to aspirin to treat various ailments, but large-scale medical use stopped when the toxic side effects of consuming acetanilide became apparent. there mite not be a lot of it in 3% but this is why most pepole chose not to use it plus for the price its a lot cheaper to use 35% and its pure and clean of any unwanted crap

the price is all i need to convince me. 500 ml bottle of 35% runs me 8 bucks. 75ml bottles of 3% are 2 bucks at the grocery store.

Ill agree that 3% can get you by in a pinch, but it is not a long term solution.

Demosthenese said:

the price is all i need to convince me. 500 ml bottle of 35% runs me 8 bucks. 75ml bottles of 3% are 2 bucks at the grocery store.

Ill agree that 3% can get you by in a pinch, but it is not a long term solution.

Click to expand...

Grow store by my house sells 35% for 18$ a gallon. I use it religiously.

I have a drip tray system in which the light hits the resevoir solution. If I dont use H202, by mid week my solution smells like old aquarium water. If I use it everytime I top off the water smells clean and sterile.

When the plants are small, I use one tablespoon per 18 gallons; any more and they get H202 burn. When I start flowering, I increase to 2 tablespoons for an 18 gallon resevoir and add it everytime I top off my solution, which is about every day or day and a half.

I also use it when I clean out my system. I put 4 or 5 tablespoons in a five gallon bucket of tap water. I take a sponge and use this solution to wipe out all of my res and trays and wipe everything down sterile and clean as a whistle. I then put my pump and hoses in the bucket and run the H202 solution through them for a few minutes to sterilize them.

I have a few other sealed drip systems. I use H202 in them when I initially fill them and sometime mid week to keep them sterile.

I use H202 from the beginning to the end of my crop, though quite sparingly during the vegetative stage.

Just make sure you rinse your hands off immediately after handling it. Otherwise you will start to feel the burn about five minutes later.

For those of you who no longer have access to h2o2 at your hydro shop...

Open you mind a little...

I mean .. open your yellow pages and search for industrial chemical suppliers...

I am buying 15 gallons of 50% h2o2 for way less than I used to pay for 1 gallon of 35% at the hydro shop...

Places that sell ammonia, chlorine... you know chemical suppliers....

And for the "dirty talk"... I am not sure about thise claims.. but I do know that there is such a thing as FOOD GRADE h2o2... so it leads me to believe that there might be something to that statement...

I have never even tried the 3% stuff cause I would need 30 bottles every 3 or 4 days in my res... that is not feasible... I don;t shit money...

Cheers...

Before I make this statement, I will preface it by saying that I'm not refutting the possible benefits of using H2O2 (I use it myself) but I thought RIU readers might like to check out this article: http://www.crophouse.co.nz/files/CG_W09-Hydrogen_peroxide-view.pdf

It's a pretty interesting article but the very first paragraph pretty much sums it up:

Hydrogen Peroxide is not suitible for root disease control in nutrient solutions of soilless cultures. This was the outcome of a research project funded by the VegFed Fresh Vegetable Sector reported in the Grower of october 2000. Pathogen control in water requires at least 100ppm of H2O2. Levels of 85-100ppm nearly killed young lettuce seedlings, while 8-12ppm reduced growth of hydroponic lettuce plants. H2O2 can be used, though, for disinfection of isolated batches of water or for making and keeping the irrigation system clean.

Click to expand...

From another website: http://www.greenhousecanada.com/content/view/1115/38/

Disinfection with Chemical Treatment H2O2 (Hydrogen peroxide)

First the Pros:

• Relatively inexpensive water disinfectant.

• No long-term or accumulative residues.

• Ideal environmental fate – breaks down into water and oxygen.

And the Cons:

• Relatively poor biocide.

• Sensitive to physical impurities.

• Heavy metals instantly catalyze H2O2 – cannot come in contact with metal parts, chelated micronutrients, etc.

• Interferes with micronutrients.

• Phytotoxicity issues at higher doses.

Two major cons which make me think twice about using H2O2:

Relatively poor biocide: In other words, you have to use extreme doses to kill pathogens, which in turn is a phytotoxic dose.
Interferes with micronutrients: This doesn't bode well at all.

So it seems, according to these studies at least, that in order for H2O2 to be truly effective at killing pathogens in your reservoir, it also has to be at a dose which is, at least somewhat, phytotoxic. Not only that, but it probably interferes with chelated micro nutrients as well. Are there any experienced growers here who have done a side by side comparison of H2O2 treated vs. non-treated nutrient solution and got any kind of meaningfull results?

I'm just curious, because while H2O2 treatment of nutrient solution is the conventional wisdom, I'm wondering if it's founded on a scientific/experiential basis or is it done just because everybody else does it?

highpsi said:

I'm just curious, because while H2O2 treatment of nutrient solution is the conventional wisdom, is it founded on a scientific/experiential basis or is it done just because everybody else does it?

Click to expand...

I will cite my personal experience, and the reasons why I am convinced to keep using h2o2 regularly in my op...

I am a disciple of Al B. Fuct teachings...

I started by copying his op... and got the same results..

But my hydro shop quit carrying h2o2...

and that is when I started having root issues... not a problem per se... but the roots were turning brown and I did see some slime...

It was the onset of root rot...

I desperately searched for a solution... and I thought I found it in organics...

Colonizing the root area with benefial bacteria seemed like a good alternative to disease...

What a NIGHTMARE...

My roots were healthy again, but something in the organic biomass was causing my pH to drop like lead... everyday...

I have since found another source for h2o2... and now my pH is back to being stable, my roots are still healthy and both my garden and I are real happy...

In hydro... my vote remains with non-organic fertilizers and a strict regimen of h2o2...

No growies to get out of hand in my op...

here's two of my "Satindica" plants that get 1ml per liter of 50% h2o2 every 3 or 4 days...

Do they look like they are hurting???

and just to clarify...

I am not claiming to use h2o2 as a pH controller.. far from that...

I use h2o2 as a pathogen inhibiter... disease control...

What I said was that the alternative I found to it, caused mad pH problems...

But to illustrate, my 100 gallon res will be within pH 5.7~6.1 for a week or more...

swear by h2o2 here. easily available online.

I have wondered about adding it to soil.
But wouldnt that kill the beneficial stuff ?
Or react to the fertilizers ?

Black Thumb said:

I have wondered about adding it to soil.
But wouldnt that kill the beneficial stuff ?
Or react to the fertilizers ?

Click to expand...

It would kill any and all bacteria... beneficial included...

I am not a soil grower... but it seems to me that h2o2 is not for soil growers...

I don't think you want "sterile" soil...

I just picked up a 16oz bottle of 35% H2O2 from a health food store and it was $20. That seemed like a steep price. Am I wrong? What are other people paying for 35% food grade?

I get 15 gallons of 50% h2o2 for $115... at an industrial chemical supplier... check the yellow pages...

they might not sell the 35 percent shit but in CA we have bg hydro which has the 10 percent shit for hydroponics use which is lile 1 teaspoon a gallon for norm use. it might be half that.

GypsyBush said:

It would kill any and all bacteria... beneficial included...

I am not a soil grower... but it seems to me that h2o2 is not for soil growers...

I don't think you want "sterile" soil...

Click to expand...

I definitely want it to start that way. When I transplant I use regular store bought 3% at about one ounce per gallon and I always have thick white roots coming out the pot holes in a matter of days. I then begin to inoculate with myco. I also use it if I see any sign of root browning or if I do an insecticide dunk.

Hydrogen peroxide rocks for soil. It's a tool, not a constant amendment. Sometimes a plain water flush isn't enough.

After recently a plant almost dying after the usual nuisance level of Gnats turning into visible Larvee appearing in the reservoir (worst case I have ever had internally but not reflecting that severity above grade!) -- combined with leaving my air pump off on my Power Grower RDWC's accidentally for 24 hours.... I am wondering if alternating h202 between Nutrient Changes (with bennies) even though I run Bennies might be a decent idea. To be more specific I believe the question is: How much of a colony can build and thrive of Beneficial Bacteria and Fungus in RDWC with hefty amount of Medium i.e. Expanded Clay --- to where alternating h202 would be a set back like when people take antibiotics and then have to replace their probiotics? I have heard some say you have to keep replenishing them anyway in reservoir because they do not have anywhere to live in DWC?. But my Power Growers and their Hydroton form a big root mass in the inner container where I believe it might be possible to house the Bennies as semi-permanent? Otherwise if they do not exist this way, then alternating with h202 would be an awesome idea?! And I want to start doing this right away... This is what I did to bring the plant back to health and it is on the mend! H202 then Hydroguard combo has saved me more than once. Generally speaking I stand my Bennies in Hydro! But the combo might be worth investigating and I have been unable to find search results pertaining to this exact idea... Please comment....

plumsmooth said:

After recently a plant almost dying after the usual nuisance level of Gnats turning into visible Larvee appearing in the reservoir (worst case I have ever had internally but not reflecting that severity above grade!) -- combined with leaving my air pump off on my Power Grower RDWC's accidentally for 24 hours.... I am wondering if alternating h202 between Nutrient Changes (with bennies) even though I run Bennies might be a decent idea. To be more specific I believe the question is: How much of a colony can build and thrive of Beneficial Bacteria and Fungus in RDWC with hefty amount of Medium i.e. Expanded Clay --- to where alternating h202 would be a set back like when people take antibiotics and then have to replace their probiotics? I have heard some say you have to keep replenishing them anyway in reservoir because they do not have anywhere to live in DWC?. But my Power Growers and their Hydroton form a big root mass in the inner container where I believe it might be possible to house the Bennies as semi-permanent? Otherwise if they do not exist this way, then alternating with h202 would be an awesome idea?! And I want to start doing this right away... This is what I did to bring the plant back to health and it is on the mend! H202 then Hydroguard combo has saved me more than once. Generally speaking I stand my Bennies in Hydro! But the combo might be worth investigating and I have been unable to find search results pertaining to this exact idea... Please comment....

Click to expand...

I have read that you can use very low dose H2O2 and bennies by adding bennies first, waiting a bit, then adding a very low dose of H2O2. However, I'm not sure if this has any effect other than adding a bit more DO to the system. You might as well run a "sterile" system without bennies, as it seems like quite a hassle.

GTConsulting said:

I have read that you can use very low dose H2O2 and bennies by adding bennies first, waiting a bit, then adding a very low dose of H2O2. However, I'm not sure if this has any effect other than adding a bit more DO to the system. You might as well run a "sterile" system without bennies, as it seems like quite a hassle.

Click to expand...

It's the other way around buddy. H202 first to sterilize and then adding Bennie's. Chlorine is better to use as sterilizing agent IMO. If you want to run sterile that is. H2O2 works but has to be added more often and is easier to overdose with than Chlorine (Bleach or Pool Shock).

Wastei said:

It's the other way around buddy. H202 first to sterilize and then adding Bennie's. Chlorine is better to use as sterilizing agent IMO. If you want to run sterile that is. H2O2 works but has to be added more often and is easier to overdose with than Chlorine (Bleach or Pool Shock).

Click to expand...

Ah ok. That definitely makes more sense... I'm going to run a constantly "sterile" system so won't be doing that anyways. Most of my interest in H2O2 is for the increased DO, as I'm trying to evaluate running w/o a noisy airpump by using a waterfall and increasing water circulation, but I digress.

My reservoirs consistently stay in the high 70's so I use ZeroTol 2.0 and swear by it. It's Hydrogen Peroxide and Peroxyacetic Acid. It's good stuff but be careful and wear gloves when you use it. Its corrosive and will burn/bleach you skin if it comes into contact. I learned the hard way.