Hydrogen peroxide aeration?

Alberto Castillo ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com
Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:24:08 PDT

>From: "Kathy Stokmanis" <vikingdoc@earthlink.net>

>On another list it was recommended to add hydrogen peroxide  when watering 
>plants (Hoyas, in this instance) in order to directly supply oxygen to the 
>roots and increase aeration.  Being an uninformed neophyte, I don't know if 
>this is plausible for bulbs, or even for hoyas, or is one of those myths 
>perpetuated by mysterious internet forces.  Any comments or jeers?

Hi Kathy:
            Hydrogen peroxide solution has been used for long to make old 
seed "resurrect". After some time the outer coats of a number of type of 
seeds become hard and would not let oxygen in, most important to assist  in 
the embryo germinating. By using peroxide you force the oxygen in by a 
chemical process with a reactive product. But, if your mix is not open and 
porous (and Hoyas come from well drained tropical soils) no amount of any 
chemical will make it so. It is all about physics of the soil not its 
chemical properties. Even if you add oxygen in a chemical product, with 
which other will you extract carbon dioxide or methane? Besides, the 
peroxide will react with the elements of the soil, blocking some and making 
other soluble that were not in the original plan of the plants' needs. The 
peroxide treatment of seeds is on a fixed period: you can not leave them 
there indefinitely or it will kill them
All the best
Alberto

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