Another of the many reasons to use Hydrogen Peroxide if you garden or grow.
Normally our Environmental Cistern Cleaning posts highlight the benefits of our Environmentally friendly and safe water cistern cleaning technology. But today instead of highlighting all the wonderful cleanings we do for cistern users(!) we are going to focus on helping gardeners and plant growers overcome possibly the growers biggest issue:
Pests and how to get rid of them
in a Environmentally safe and economical way without resorting to the usual plethora of commercially available products. Readers of our posts will know how much we value the use of Hydrogen Peroxide as a disinfection agent for cistern cleanings, it is possibly without equal, but a question often asked is “what are other uses for Hydrogen Peroxide?”
So for you gardeners and plant growers here is important information which can help in all aspects of your gardening efforts. This information was derived from Zach, the author of the original article ‘Hydrogen Peroxide for Plants‘, last updated on April 8, 2016 – but still as current as ever.
Hydrogen Peroxide for Plants
Hydrogen peroxide for plants sounds like pure madness, right? After all, why would you want to feed your garden vegetables with a solution that’s most famous for its use of disinfecting wounds? Well, to much surprise, this compound is actually the garden’s best mate.
That’s right, your garden can greatly benefit from hydrogen peroxide treatments! It might come at even more of a surprise to hear that it is completely compatible with organic gardens! So why is it so great? Well, you’ll just have to keep reading to find out, but how does natural pesticide, soil aerator and water cleanser sound for a preview?
Benefits
Recognized by the United States EPA as an organic treatment for agricultural crops, hydrogen peroxide offers many benefits to gardeners.
Pesticide
When it comes to the cultivation of organic food crops, root worms and other soil pests are difficult to spot and even more difficult to treat for. Fortunately, feeding a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution to the infected plants will rid them of these soil-dwelling pests. Even a small amount will rapidly degrade external tissues and kill fungus, gnat larvae, cutworms, and parasitic nematodes upon contact. A diluted solution can also be applied as a foliage spray to control the populations of soft bodied pests, such as aphids and spider mites.
Soil Aeration & Root Rot Treatment
An over-watered garden can easily fall victim to root rot. This rapid deterioration of plant roots can establish itself after just 24 hours of moist, oxygen-deprived soil conditions. Again, hydrogen peroxide comes to the rescue! Watering thoroughly with a diluted solution, it will break down rapidly in the soil, boosting oxygen levels and expelling any anaerobic conditions.
Water Treatment
Many gardeners in urban areas with chemically treated municipal tap water choose to treat their water with hydrogen peroxide.