This problem is real and it can be caused by overwatering. Adding peroxide to the soil adds oxygen thereby improving the waterlogged soil. The water fills the air spaces, resulting in low oxygen levels which makes it easier for root rot fungus to take hold. The claim is that root rot is caused by waterlogged soil due to overwatering. Soil and plant material will deactivate the peroxide, so material being disinfected should be washed first. Secondly, it is next to impossible to disinfect the soil in a home garden. Firstly, most diseases in the garden don’t pose a problem and don’t need to be treated. They prefer to use products that combine hydrogen peroxide and peroxyacetic acid because they work better.Ĭomments like, “If you find a plant disease in your backyard, use a hydrogen peroxide solution to disinfect everything that might have come into contact with your troubled plants” are misleading. Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant, so this will work, however commercial greenhouses don’t use it. The peroxide is degraded quickly as it reacts with organic matter and in a few minutes you are left with soil that is just as compacted as before.ĭisinfects Pots, Tools, Benches and Greenhouses Peroxide will release oxygen, but it will not build up enough pressure to open up new pores in soil. The peroxide releases oxygen and somehow this opens up the pores in soil. Plants don’t grow well in compacted soil and it is claimed that pouring peroxide onto it will reduce compaction. Cures root rot caused by waterlogged soil.Disinfects pots, tools, benches and greenhouses.Rainwater does contain very low levels of peroxide. “It makes plants think that plain water is actually rainwater and you know how good that is for plants!”. What Are the Claims for Hydrogen Peroxide and Plants? During this reaction oxygen is produced and can be observed as bubbles. In fact, an older method for measuring the amount of organic matter in soil used peroxide as the main reagent. When peroxide is mixed with soil it will react with living microbes as well as dead organic matter. Soil Organic Matter Can Be Measured Using Hydrogen Peroxide Any mixtures for plant use need to be used right away.
Light will also degrade it, explaining why it is kept in brown plastic containers. Spraying it into the air, on soil or even adding it to water will cause it to degrade rapidly producing oxygen and water. It is very reactive and easily loses the extra oxygen when it comes into contact with all kinds of other chemicals. You might remember using it to sterilize a cut, although this is no longer recommended since it also damages tissue in the cut, making it more difficult to heal. When applied to bacteria or fungi, it will kill them. Peroxide is sold in most pharmacies as a disinfectant in either a 3% or 6% solution, but is also available at higher concentrations. It is water with an extra oxygen atom attached. Hydrogen peroxide, or peroxide for short, is a simple chemical with the formula H2O2. Should Hydrogen Peroxide Be Used in the Garden?