Can hydrogen peroxide be used to care for plants?

Irrigation

Irrigation

It may seem somewhat curious that a product that we normally use to clean and disinfect wounds so that they heal quickly and well has some use in gardening. But yes, it can also help us to take care of our plants effectively.

But when and how to use it? If you want to know the other wonders of the peroxidedon’t miss this article .

What is hydrogen peroxide?

Hydrogen peroxide has many uses in gardening

Hydrogen peroxide has many uses in gardening

Hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a chemical compound that appears as a viscous, colorless liquid with a pungent odor that can even be unpleasant.

Its antibacterial properties are well known, so it is found in small amounts in medicinal products.

Uses in gardening

In ecological gardening it has several very interesting uses, which are the following:

Aerate the ground

If you have a clay floor, with poor drainage, or if it has been raining heavily for days or weeks, hydrogen peroxide can help prevent plant roots from rotting. How? Very easy: you only have to water with 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with 1 liter of water. Thanks to this extra supply of oxygen, the plants can continue to breathe normally.

It is necessary to bear in mind that plants only want a certain amount of water: some will want more than others, but all of them can have problems if they live in very compact soils, and / or if they are watered or receive water in excess. For example, I can tell you myself that on August 27, 2019, about 90 liters of rain fell in just 40 minutes. The land is limestone, and has good drainage; however, while a palm tree of the species parajubaea hair died that same day (the leaves were closed and he has opened them again for us), the ‘Maurelli’ pot-bellied vine the growth rate increased and grew by about 40 centimeters between the end of August and November.

Every plant is different. It has its own needs. So do not hesitate to aerate the soil or the substrate of your pots with hydrogen peroxide to help them grow healthily.

Insecticide

A natural remedy to eliminate the larvae of Mites and aphids, as well as fungi and nematodes which can cause many problems for plants, is to mix one part of 3% hydrogen peroxide with ten parts of water. In case you want to prevent pests, you can mix equal parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and distilled water. In this way, your pots will grow healthy.

Fast-multiplying insects become pests in a matter of days, so it never hurts to have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide nearby.

Does it improve the water quality

If you live in an urban area, your tap water probably has a lot of chlorine in it. Chlorine is an important mineral, but only in small amounts. That is why, for example, you should not put plants very close to the pool, since in contact with that water the leaves tend to burn and fall.

To improve quality dissolve 20ml of hydrogen peroxide in 5 liters of tap water. In addition, it is also highly recommended to analyze the pH because whether it is very high (alkaline) or very low (acid) it is certain that some plants could be damaged, either by excess lime or by receiving too acidic water.

Hydrogen peroxide as a fungicide for plants

Fungi can cause many problems for plants, since they multiply by spores, which are the equivalent of seeds, but unlike these, their size is very, very smaller; in fact, they are so small that are only visible if viewed through a microscope. As if this were not enough, these organisms are only left see in its reproductive stage, which is when the mushrooms appear, or when the plant shows symptoms of disease.

With this in mind, it is very important that we do everything possible to prevent our crops from being damaged by fungi. And as they say, prevention is better than cure and that is why hydrogen peroxide can be very helpful as it is an excellent preventive remedy. It can also be used as a curative, but the effect may not be as expected, especially if the plant is already very weak.

The way of use is mixing 1 or 2% hydrogen peroxide and distilled water in equal parts. We will spray / spray all parts of the plant every 7-15 days.

Plants want water in its right measure

Plants want water in its proper measure

Did you know about these uses of hydrogen peroxide?

Can hydrogen peroxide be used to care for plants?

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