Surely you have some hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide at home and you use it to heal small wounds and scrapes. However, a lesser-known use of this product is in our garden or orchard.
Hydrogen peroxide is very useful in the garden, orchard and in the pots of terraces and balconies, that is, in general to take care of the health of plants and is used for different applications. However, it is not enough to know what hydrogen peroxide is for plants, but it is necessary to know how to use it correctly, since excessive or frequent use or a high dose could harm them instead of benefiting them. Thus, in this GreenEcology article, we will see the uses of hydrogen peroxide in the garden and how to use it properly.
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What is hydrogen peroxide used for in the garden and how is it used?
Hydrogen peroxide is not harmful to plants, but helps the roots to absorb nutrients from the soil, thanks to the additional oxygen molecule it provides, which promotes their healthier, faster and more vigorous development. In addition to this effect, it also helps to ward off undesirable bacteria and fungi, so it can act as a pesticide.
How hydrogen peroxide is used in plants
Hydrogen peroxide can be used at 3% is, which is its pharmaceutical form. It is important to take into account the concentration, as a large concentration could cause damage such as discoloration or burns. The preparation consists of adding just one teaspoon per cup of water in a spray bottle and spraying the plant and the garden after the rains or as needed. This solution can be used in seedbeds for seeds with fungal infections and for plants with root rot or fungal infections. The solution can be prepared and stored for future use, but stored in cool, dark places, as light can decrease its potency.
If you want to cover a larger area, it might be cheaper to buy it at 35%, but in this case diluted in ten parts water. Mix it in a watering pan or a large sprinkler and water the base of the plants, avoiding wetting the foliage.
Hydrogen peroxide for plant roots
Hydrogen peroxide is also used to keep plant roots healthy. Watering is essential for plants, but too much can cause root rot, because when all the empty space left in the soil is occupied by water, the roots run out of oxygen. In this case, to prevent the plants from dying, it is irrigated with 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted in a liter of water. After this, you will have to wait for the substrate to dry completely before watering again.
Hydrogen peroxide for sprouts
Hydrogen peroxide can also be used to speed up seed germination. This effect is due to the fact that it acts by softening the protective layer of the seeds and eliminating harmful agents that damage their growth.
Its application consists of soaking the seeds for about half an hour in 3% hydrogen peroxide and then rinsing them well before sowing.
Hydrogen peroxide can also be used as a natural soil fertilizer. As we have already seen, hydrogen peroxide is so called because of the additional atom of oxygen it possesses and it is precisely this atom that helps to make the roots of our plants stronger and facilitates the absorption of nutrients.
For its application, a tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide must be diluted in approximately three and a half liters of water and sprinkle our plants.
Hydrogen peroxide as a pesticide
Hydrogen peroxide can also be used to kill fungi and bacteria. This is done by mixing 3% hydrogen peroxide with the same amount of water and spraying it on our plants with a watering can or sprinkler. As with wounds, hydrogen peroxide helps to eliminate bacteria, molds and fungi, as it accelerates the oxidation process of biomolecules.
Can hydrogen peroxide harm plants?
Like any other substance, the excessive use of hydrogen peroxide can cause damage to plants. For this reason, it is very important to dilute this hydrogen peroxide before using it in the garden. This use is recognized by the EPA of the United States, giving it its seal of approval.
Hydrogen peroxide has the same chemical formula and atoms as water, with the difference that it has an additional oxygen atom (resulting in H2O2), which gives hydrogen peroxide its beneficial properties.
If you want to read similar articles to Uses of hydrogen peroxide in the garden, we recommend that you visit our Garden Care category.
