On Sat, 12 Jul 2014 18:00:29 +0100, stuart noble wrote:

On 12/07/2014 16:17, Chris Hogg wrote:
On 12 Jul 2014 14:55:39 GMT, Emery Davis wrote:

Particularly this wet year, I've been having a lot of trouble with wet
roots, bad root growth and shabby seedlings failing to thrive.

I've started experimenting with hydrogen peroxide, bought from a
"growshop" at 35% strength and used ~ 3 ml/12 l as per the
instructions for oxygenation. Too early to tell if this is having an
effect, but I was wondering if anyone else has used hydrogen peroxide
for watering; it seems a standard technique in hydroponics anyway.

Dull, wet and cold weather, ugh.

-E
I know nowt about it's use in horticulture, but I would have thought
its main benefit would be in sterilisation, especially important in a
hydroponic system I would think.


You can certainly use it for sterilisation at higher concentrations, and
indeed at 35% it's pretty powerful stuff. (I got some on my finger which
turned completely white). But there is lots available about oxygenation
of waterlogged roots on the net. Here's a study about avocado trees
where this technique is explored:

http://www.actahort.org/books/889/889_71.htm

Here's a link on garden use in general, though I'm not sure the author is
any kind of expert:

http://www.using-hydrogen-peroxide.c...de-garden.html



Might be worth trying laundry bleach (sodium percarbonate) which is in
powder form and only activates on contact with water. Easy to mix into
the soil I would have thought

I would think laundry bleach would kill roots, not aerate them! But
having looked it up I see sodium percarbonate turns into hydrogen
peroxide and soda ash when mixed with water. So I guess this wouldn't be
appropriate for my uses as it would make the water more alkaline,
something I would avoid. Interesting idea though.


-E



--
Gardening in Lower Normandy