Keeping a garden is not easy. It takes a lot of time and effort to make sure that no unwanted elements live in it. However, that is not often the case. You will have to deal with gnats, fungus, molds, and even root rots. It is no breeze having a perfect garden. It is even more frustrating when the expensive commercial products do not work. You turn to homemade remedies but often with the same dismal result. Good thing there is one substance you can count on for the said conditions. You can turn to hydrogen peroxide for help.
Surprisingly, this colorless liquid does wonders for your plants. It has several benefits you did not know exist. Need help for root rot? How about preventing over-watering? Let molds and fungi be gone! Here is a garden helper that will make your garden in top shape at the least cost.
Introduction to hydrogen peroxide
You are familiar with it because this product is a common household supply. This colorless, sharp-smelling liquid appears like water. Basically, because it is mostly water. Most hydrogen peroxide sold in groceries and markets is heavily diluted. The concentration ranges from 3 percent to 10 percent. There are higher concentrations available. However, they are not what is easily accessible.
Hydrogen peroxide has many uses. It acts as a cleaning agent. It is also a disinfectant. We are familiar with its use as first aid at home for the treatment of scratch and bruises. Others use it for acne or boils. It is also the active compound for hair coloring found in most dyes. Need to clean your aquarium? It can help get rid of scum and algae too!
How hydrogen peroxide work
Hydrogen peroxide is a naturally occurring substance. It can be mistaken for water because its chemical composition is a combination of water and oxygen molecules. In the environment, you will find it in rain waters. If you observe, plants have a different kind of robustness after raining. It is because of this chemical content.
This is why using hydrogen peroxide in gardening should not surprise you. What you are doing is just recreating a natural process, which your plants respond to positively. It is like giving your plants the rainy day boost any time you see fit.
Using hydrogen peroxide for gardening
The important thing to remember when using hydrogen peroxide for gardening is the concentration. As stated above, it comes in different percentages of concentration. Highly concentrated solutions cause more harm than good. You have to dilute it enough, depending on which part of the plant you will use it on. This is because different parts have different tolerance to the chemical.
Start with a mixture of a cup of hydrogen peroxide, diluted in 32 cups of clean water. Use this solution to soak your flower beds. The best time to do this is at night. Let it stay wet overnight to soak on the chemical to allow it to work on the roots. But here is a word of caution: make sure to avoid the leaves or flowers as this solution can damage them. Moreover, a stronger concentration of this hp and water combination is needed if you are going to use it for the seeds.
There are many reasons why it is beneficial to use hydrogen peroxide for plants. Discussed below are 12 reasons that will enlighten you regarding this.
Root rot treatment
Root rot, also known as phytophthora, is a condition where roots decay due to overwatering. This can be serious as it can lead to the plant’s death. Not only that, it can even stay on the soil for a long time that when a new seed is planted, it can also get infected. However, it can be challenging to deal with at times because certain soils can be too compact. This is specifically noticeable in tomato and potato gardens.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to detect the presence of root rot. Oftentimes, you will discover the condition when the plant starts dying or getting withered all of a sudden. Root rot, obviously, is seen on the roots. Since it is below ground, it is difficult to know when it affected your plant until the signs on top begin to show. The good news is that hydrogen peroxide can help you with this.
Just make a 3% hp and water solution, and spray on the roots.
Root rot signals the presence of fungi and bacteria in your plants. It also means that it is not getting enough air or oxygen. Applying this remedy will eliminate the presence of bacteria. It also helps to avoid future infections. Early detection is key to this.
Improves soil oxygen (aeration)
Tightly compacted soil causes plants to have poor roots. It also leads to the multiplication of bacteria. Applying a hydrogen peroxide solution helps improve the soil condition. Dilute a 3% concentrated hp for this issue. Water at the base of your plant with the solution making sure the leaves are not soaked.
The oxygen in the solution you apply helps air pass through the soil. It creates space for oxygen to move and for plant nutrients to reach the root. One sign that the root is not properly aerated is when they look closely tangled once pulled out. This condition shows that the soil needs to have more space for the roots to move about and bring the minerals the plant needs from the soil.
Eliminates unwanted weeds
Weeds are harmful to the overall growth of plants. They hinder the full potential of the plant. If you are tired of pulling them out of the way, you may use a higher hydrogen peroxide solution to get rid of them.
Use a 10 percent peroxide concentration for dealing with weeds. Spray it directly to them, and soon they will be gone. This is a very potent formula that any plant can be killed when it comes in contact. Therefore, you have to be extra careful in the application, or else even the ones that you want to keep might be eliminated too.
Since this is a higher concentration of the solution, you must handle it with more care. Use a glove to avoid direct skin contact.
Helps in faster development of the roots
When a plant seems to stop growing and starts withering, oftentimes, the problem is in the root. You can help boost the growth of the root of your plant by using a hydrogen peroxide solution sprayed directly on top of the soil. Due to the ability of the mixture to create more oxygen for the plant, it will enable better growth. This happens because as the soil gets better, the root also gets better in absorbing the nutrients from the soil.
Once the soil is properly aerated, the roots will also begin to grow better. This will give your plant a boost. This practice can help revive a dying plant. So, when you see the signs, mix a gallon of water with 35% hydrogen peroxide and start watering. You can do this alternately with your regular watering routine.
Fights molds and fungi
Molds and fungi are not welcome around your plant. The presence of these elements will cause the eventual death of your precious ones. When you see signs of these, concoct a hydrogen peroxide solution and soak your plant heavily with it. Soaking means that you have to water your plant until it looks flooded. The solution will help flush out the unwanted elements around your plant once it has dried out.
Fungi and molds cannot stand the chemical components found in hydrogen peroxide. Once in contact with this “clean” water, they will die. There is no way that they can survive it. However, do this only using a mild peroxide-water solution and do not do it often. Anyway, if done the right way, it will take a long time for infestations to happen again. That is if they even return.
Sanitation for seeds
Do seeds need to be sanitized? You probably have not heard of that, but the answer is yes. It is not a requirement. However, if you like to avoid introducing bacteria into your garden, then this is the way to go.
Rinse the seeds using a spoonful of hydrogen peroxide in a 3% solution diluted in 10 parts of water. In an airtight container, place the seeds you would be germinating. Let sit for four hours. During this time, the bacteria that could be present are already getting eradicated. Take them out of the container and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Towel dry them or leave them until dry. You now have clean seeds, ready to be geminated or planted.
Disinfectant for growing media
Gardeners often use growing mediums to grow plants. There are different types of media. They can either be liquid or solid compounds. They are often used as part of organic gardening. Oftentimes, they are from the peat mix. Other times, they can come from the compost mix. Either way, they are made up of organic matters, and when decayed, may be susceptible to different kinds of bacteria. It is useful for gardening as they contain high amounts of nutrients and minerals that can help plant growth. However, the possible downside is the presence of elements that may also harm your plants.
For you to maximize the advantages of a growing medium, you can disinfect it using a hydrogen peroxide solution similar to that used when treating root rots. Before using them, prepare them first by soaking them with the solution for at least a week or days longer. Transfer them to a sanitized container and then sprinkle them with the solution at most every other day.
Doing this will ensure that when you start planting, you will not have to deal with other issues such as bacteria and fungi.
Helps in faster germination
If you want your seeds to germinate faster, you can soak it in a mild hydrogen peroxide solution. Mix a teaspoon of it with a cup of water, and you are done. The lower the concentration, the longer it will take for the germination process, so it is up to you how diluted you want it to be.
An advantage of doing this process is that it also helps eliminate bacteria from the seed. It might concern you that it could get damaged by the chemical content but fear not. This is so mild, it cleanses but will not destroy, unlike other cleansing agents apart from water.
The best way to do this is by using a mesh bag. Put the seeds in, and then let the solution wash over them. If you do not have one, find something that can hold the seeds in place while letting the hp mixture run through. You may use a sieve if that is what is available. Once done, rinse them using freshwater.
Begin the germination process by putting the seeds on a tray. Oftentimes, these are made with cardboards. They must be absorbent enough to preserve the moisture from the seeds. Keep the container in a warm but moist environment to ensure that it will thrive beautifully.
Effectively repels insects
Not all insects are created equal. Some are helpful, while some are harmful to your plants. An example of this is aphids. You do not like the latter to be where your plants are because they will destroy and hinder their growth. It can be annoying watching your plant thrive one day and then see it dying the next just because of such pests.
Use a very mild solution of hydrogen peroxide to deal with this. A one percent solution is most ideal. It is safe against useful insects such as bees since they do not linger on the plant. However, for those that prey on your greens, it is harmful. Spray it over them and to their eggs to eradicate them.
This process is not just easy and effective, but it is also very cheap. So the next time you see those pests roaming around, get your spray bottle ready, and attack.
Enriches hydroponics setup
Hydroponics is a method of gardening that uses water rather than soil. It is a trend that is becoming popular these days, and it is easy to get on in the bandwagon. However, the absence of soil also means the absence of some important nutrients that plants need to grow. It also makes bacterial growth more rampant, especially if the water contains low oxygen levels.
The use of hydrogen peroxide solution can help solve the above issues. As discussed above, this element can increase oxygenation. Thus, it will minimize the risk of bacterial multiplication and prevent the nutrients from being extracted by pests. For this activity, you may opt for higher concentrations of hp from 3 percent to 8 percent. You can buy them from supermarkets or drug stores at very affordable prices. This is a very cheap alternative for treating your hydroponics garden.
Use for treating water
If you are using tap or rainwater for your plants, you can apply hydrogen peroxide to it to help purify the water. This process can help remove chlorine content as well as other chemicals that could be present. This process will help plants absorb more nutrients since the soil will be more oxygenated, giving the roots better growth.
Treating water for gardening use may not always be necessary, but if there is a time that the need arises, you now know how to deal with it. Just keep a bottle of hp ready so that you can easily concoct a solution when you feel like the tap water is not good enough for your plants.
As disinfectant for garden tools
Hydrogen peroxide has antibacterial properties that make it a good disinfectant for the things used at home. This is also what enables it to be a powerful disinfectant for your gardening tools.
Your tools are often exposed to different elements that can harm your plants. For example, if you use a shovel for an infected soil, once you use it again when preparing a new plan bed, the disease will likely be transported. This will cause you to have fungi or bacteria on your new bed at the onset. It will cause you the health of your plant if not resolved soon.
This is why you have to make sure that all tools are cleaned and disinfected. It must be done not only when you see the possible occurrences of threats but regularly. All you need for this is a solution of hydrogen peroxide, around a cup, and a bucket of water. Put the solution in a container big and deep enough to soak the tools after you have wiped them clean of dirt. If there are wooden parts, take necessary precautions as the mixture can destroy them. Pat them dry afterward to prevent the production of rust.
For the shelves and walls of the greenhouse, use a damp cloth for cleaning. Wet the cloth and wring it dry. Make sure to use protective gear like hand gloves during application to protect your skin too. Do this ritual regularly to ensure that your tools and plant garden is free from bacteria and other unwanted elements.
Some safety reminders
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical. Just like other chemicals, it may endanger you if not handled properly. Therefore, you have to make sure that you know how to handle it, especially if you have to do it often.
When you buy a bottle from the store, you will see instructions on how to use it, as well as some basic safety reminders. Written below are some of the things that you need to remember when using hydrogen peroxide for your garden.
Keep away from children
This is the most common caution you will see in chemical products. Generally, hydrogen peroxide is mild, since it is also a first aid supply. However, in large amounts, it can be dangerous.
Kids do not know this yet. Since it looks so much like water, there is the possibility of it being mistaken for a drink. Ingesting this chemical is very dangerous. Label it properly and keep it away from children’s reach. Should an emergency arise due to this, bring the victim to the nearest hospital.
Keep it in a cool and dry storage
Store your hydrogen peroxide solution in a dark, airtight container to preserve its potency. Put the solution in a cool and dry area for safekeeping. Direct exposure to the sun may cause it to lose its ability to disinfect as it will react to the heat.
Have a dedicated box for your hydrogen peroxide solution. This will not only keep it safe and last longer, but it will also keep you and your family safe.
Keep away from fire or heat
Do not try to heat or boil hydrogen peroxide. Never attempt to do so. Like most liquid chemical compounds, it can be unstable and may cause huge fires. In larger quantities, it may even create an explosion. Do not try to experiment on it. The consequences are not something you would want to experience.
Keep your hands protected
The chemical composition of hp may not be very harsh, but in large amounts and with long exposures, it can harm your skin. Use protective gloves when you employ it in your gardening tasks for maximum safety.
Final words on hydrogen peroxide
You see, there are many uses for hydrogen peroxide in the garden. Written above are just 12 of the reasons why it is useful for your plants. Perhaps, you know some of them already. Explore further, and you may even discover more.
Hydrogen peroxide is a wonder chemical hiding in plain sight. It can disinfect, help increase oxygen, kill pests, and more. It is indeed a gardener’s best ally. Not only that, but it is also very cheap and easy to get your hands on to because it is available in most drugstores and markets.
If you have not tried it out yet, why not do so now? You know the application, the uses, and the benefits you can get from it. This might be the thing that your garden needs for it to thrive.