Stolen Idea!

I misted layers of paper towels with the H2O2 solution so they were just damp, like a wrung out sponge. I rolled the tubers in the paper towels, put in a plastic bag and kept in a cool location (ranunculus need cool temps to germinate). I checked them daily and misted as needed. I removed the tubers when they developed roots or shoots and potted them up.

The crucial thing with ranunculus is moisture and temperature. If they are too wet or warm they will rot. So it was really important to keep the towels damp but not wet. In the past when I planted them in directly in pots with soil-less potting mix they usually rotted, I couldn't regulate the degree of dampness well enough.

I have never grown freesias so I don't know what their requirements are.

I have read various proportions for the ratio of H2O2 to H2O also. Since I was using a 32 oz. spray bottle with markings for each oz. I used one oz. of H2O2 and filled the rest of the bottle with water.

I have also used this to mist dahlia tubers that were a little shriveled.

LOL you didn't say whether or not it worked on the dahlias. Also, did you use distilled water or just tap water?

It worked fine to plump up the dahlias. They didn't have any mold on them so I can't say how it would have worked on that.

I started off using distilled water but when I ran out of that I used tap water and it worked fine so that is what I use now. I don't know if tap water would work if your water is hard.

I like the misting idea...

Do you think the H2O2 would work on lavender seeds?

I have never tried to grow lavender seeds so I don't have any idea. Sorry.

~ bump ~

thanks to you all for the knowledge you've shared here

Bluespiral, I am glad that you kicked this up for those of us who have not seen it, and those of us who have and have forgotten.

Thanks, Jeanette

I agree -- this is a wonderful thread.

Is it time to bump it up again??

I guess so heave ho!!

RIP ... "pins2006" ,,, you're missed ♥♥♥♥ :0(

~* Robin

Water, 10% by volume hydrogen peroxide H2O2 and kelp meal yucca meal or alfalfa meal tea is just about the best for any seed or cutting starting you would like to do. Note: One of the above three mentioned not all three.

The value of H2O2 is nicely presented in this thread.

The value of kelp meal, yucca meal or alfalfa meal tea is a super organic boost both of which include the same type hormones that are in most if not all products sold to assist in seed and cutting starting. There are also many trace minerals and very minor organic fertilizers when used to soak seed and cuttings prior to placement in the soil.

How much of the tea bases? Just make it look like tea your might drink. A scant pinch in a pint of water is surely enough.

Doc: I'm confused: are you advocating a mix of 80% water, 10% hydrogen peroxide and 10% tea (either yucca, alfalfa or kelp)?

docgipe,

The "ingredients" - kelp meal, yucca meal or alfalfa meal tea - were not available at the time; wheeeew ..... 4 years ago.

Besides, we were looking for a cheaper method rather the more expensive ones like Gibberellic Acid at the time. It was quite expensive then.

Gibberellic Acid available at J.L. Hudson, Seedsman - http://www.jlhudsonseeds.net/GibberellicAcid.htm in different sized packages.

I still make 'Chamomile Tea' for my seedlings from the plants I grow in my garden.
Yes; I grow that many, I need a lot for my 'Winter Tonic Tea.'

~* Robin

Robin..............sure they were available for over sixty years now and from a firm in your home state called North Country Organics and yet another I have forgotten. I have been told by my other NY friends that their service is very good.
You also have a very strong and intellegent Fertrell Dealer listed on the Fertrelll web site. Fertrell is the oldest distributer in America of organic soil and cattle feed additives. They are national distributors.

I have purchased from North Country Organics over the years to support my aerobic compost and worm cast teas. I do not know for sure if they have yucca meal.

I do not mess with GA. It may be OK but I know that it causes mutations by chemistry that is not considered safe by many who speak of it. It was a novel toy acid to play with when I was in college......back then about 1957 - 59. We got some real weird results at that time. That is why I have never used it since. The label warnings were enough to cool my interest in GA.

docgipe,

I've never heard of 'North Country Organics'. I just now googled it I'll check it out.
I guess I never looked for places to buy alot of Organic things online.

I've looked at this place before: http://www.ghorganics.com/page5.html

Thanks for the info; I appreciate it.

~* Robin

Bump

HAPPY...........For seed soaking I use aproximately (not rocket science) 90% water and 10% H202 by volume. To that I add the element of one tea. Tea should color the water to the color you might consider drinking yourself. Again it is not rocket science. In a clear glass hold it up to the sky. When it looks like tea you are ready to soak.

By looking at this thread there is a similar mix of water and H202 which runs an average of my suggestion. Adding tea introduces eyeball evaluation. None of these elements are caustic or very strong therefore my comment...."not rocket science" .

Curious to find out if you found a difference in adding the tea ?
did you use just regular black tea ?

My tea savy. Kelp, alfalfa and yucca in my meal stock contain natural growth hormones plus many other trace elements which help insure a very vigerous start right in the seed starting medium. I trust the experience of many others with the facts here in stated.

There are other plant meals or juices that do contain growth hormones. These are just the ones I have come to know and trust.

I fertilize with the same teas both in the house and in the garden. Fish oil gets added in for the fertilizing rotations. There is a very special relationship between fish oil and kelp. Both from the sea. Alfalfa grows best over clay and limestone....again from the elements of the sea.

If I could only have three additives for my soil building efforts they would be in order of importance: Mycorrhiza, kelp meal and fish oil. The only difference in kelp meal and kelp in fluid form is the expense of shipping the product. The same goes for cold processed dehydrated fish if shipping becomes an issue.

LOL that type of tea :-)
I make my alfalfa tea every spring to put in my rosegarden,bought them by the 25 lb bag.
Also use fish emulsion,kelp etc.

Talking about fish/sea/ocean products.I drive to the ocean and get my own seaweed.Last summer I brought back about 10 grocery bags full.I don't mind the smell,as long as it helps my gardens it's ok with me.Maybe not the neighbor's ?

Ok, I am getting totally lost here. Doc: where do you get mycorrhiza? How do you administer fish oil (we take it orally, but I don't think that is what you mean). And for the teas, do you make the tea separately and then pour some into the potion you water with? Do you mix the kelp, alfalfa etc together, or just use whatever is on-hand? How do you convert the kelp meal to fluid form? Etc. Etc.

eglant....i too live by the ocean. i am new to propagating and such. you said that you get your own seaweed... then what do you do with it to prepare it for fertilization? awesome about the peroxide. will definitly try that on soem of my new starts.

All the products for tea making can be purchased from most organic web sites. The big box stores have bottles of fish and kelp all ready to be used as diluted teas. You can grow enough alfalfa on a three by three bed to make enough growth for most small property needs. Just cut off a hand full or so and food process it into a gallon of water and let it soak a week. Dilute it to look like tea you would drink and watch the goodness happen. Look for Alaska products in the big box store garden centers. I purchase a bale and use a six inch layer of it to make fifty gallons in which case I stir it daily for two weeks and then use the same way. Alfalfa Meal has the about the same value as kelp meal or gathered kelp. Gathered kelp has to have the salts flushed out of it before using. What we on the Eastern Shores find is not good quality kelp. In fact what many call kelp is not kelp at all but it is good after salt flushing and makes fine mulch or compost pile additions. Buying kelp liquid or meal is better in my opinion.

Hi,
I actually put it into a large garbage can,add water,let it steep but I also use the seeweed and put it around my roses ( no kritters have dug them up even when we raised raccoons - rehab) also I put them into my plantinghole .

Thankyou, to all of you. I spent about 3 hours last night reading the whole thread, yes I was fairly crosseyed when I called it quits. I found
the whole thread very interesting and enlightening. Everyone has great input, I'm sure I will get a lot out of all the information. I have
read before about peroxide but there wasn't much useful info about it such as quantities etc. Should be good for soaking cuttings
in before potting up would you think? Probably read the answer last night but it didn't stick in the brain. Some very interesting Hyperliunks
too they are tonights homework lol. I used to do a lot of seed raising and cutting work but not for a while, now I feel the urge setting
in again. It's all a lot of fun anyway whether on a big scale or small. Hoping all your seeds do as they should and make you proud
of them.
Lesley.

Hi to all af you. To save me having to go back and read the whole thread again I have a question for you. If I got the peroxide from a supermarket what form would it be in. I bought a bottle at the chemist its about 4oz and $5.80 and a 3% solution so it will be quite expensive, where as the stronger I can get the further it will go. I asked at 2 hardware stores but no luck. I read somewhere that some had been bought at a super market and it was 36% solution. I hope someone can help. thankyou. Lesley.

I don't know what would be available in New Zealand, but here 3% is definitely the most common, you won't find anything much more concentrated than that in drug stores, supermarkets, etc. As you get higher in concentration it becomes pretty dangerous, not something you want to mess with. Even if you do find someplace that will sell you 30% concentration I wouldn't recommend buying it.

Here's an MSDS sheet for 10% peroxide, even at that concentration it's not very nice sounding http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/h4068.htm
Compare that to 3% which is perfectly safe to handle. http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/h4070.htm

Thankyou ecrane that information was very interesting. It really is good to know what it is that you are playing with, so to speak.
Peroxide has been used for so many things for so long that you tend to forget that it has a not so good side to it. It will be very interesting to see how much difference it makes to my plants. Of course I'm hoping for miracles. Lesley.

It's just like anything else--it's good in moderation!

~BUMP~

I love this thread! I'm Winter Sowing a big batch of seeds (yes, I know I'm late getting started). I wanted to use the H2O2 formula to help get the seeds going and head off any "damping off" disease that might develop in the soil.

While I was gone on vacation last year I had someone else tending my seedlings. They over watered the plants and I lost all my seedlings to "damping off."

Good luck to all with your gardening this year!!

Bev

Hi Bev!! How are you doing? I used to have this thread in a file but it has disappeared. The link that Dori posted right in the beginning has been taken over by something else. Do you have the instructions on how she did the daylilies?

Or maybe you know if there is a new link?

edited to add: Just looked at it again. I think Alice Knapp posted it.

Thanks, Jeanette

This message was edited Mar 8, 2009 3:29 PM

I believe stronger solutions can be bought at beauty supply sources... for hair dye.
Keep in mind that once H2O2 is exposed to sunlight, it rapidly loses it's strength, hence the brown bottles. So, putting the solution into a saucer 'shouldn't' do much good... the extra 'O' will just be lost to the atmosphere. Also, once opened, the bottle of pharmacy peroxide is usually only good for a month.

I'm glad I read this... I have lots of seeds to propagate this spring, and I'm looking forward to trying it!


J

Hey Jnette, I'm fine, how you getting along?

I don't know about the daylilies with H202, I just use it to start older seeds and a mild solution for my seed starting trays to keep down the damping off.

Bev

Once you open the H202 put it in the frig and it will last for a good wial. I use the 30% and delud it to one part 30% H202 to 11 parts distilled water equals to 3% H202. I keep the 30% H202 in the freezer. (one part 3% H202 to 9 parts water for my seedlings)

Anyone care to Steal it Further?

My turn to "bump" the thread?

Just found it. I heard about using the H2O/H2O2 solution first here on DG and never in my gardening days had I heard such a thing. I haven't been able to employ it much this year - this and that have kept me from the garden, but I expect I will incorporate it into all of my gardening schemes and plans.

I have used Superthrive but not some of the other products mentioned here. It's great to be able to learn something new.

Someone inquired in a post about whether it would work on lavender seeds?

In one of my classes for restoration (in school for master's degree in forestry at NCSU) we talked about using liquid smoke to aid in germination. I have academic/scholarly articles discussing certain chemical elements that are released from burning wood/forest products that "signal" certain plants to germinate faster than others in a way to out-compete other species that are fire-dependent. It's been a while since I read any of this, but our class discussed the article which suggested that these elements were most effective at releasing seeds/dormant species at trace levels. The Ph.D. in charge of the restoration program is the one who mentioned the liquid smoke as something that is used in the field to aid in germination of species that are fire-dependent and would otherwise not germinate or germinate at very low percentages.

Liquid smoke is sold in the grocery and used to make BBQ sauces, etc. If used for germination I understand it must be used in a very very very dilute solution to be effective.

It was suggested that it was/might be effective on particular plant species that were difficult to germinate such as lavender. I haven't looked at ay research that is on point for typical horticultural/gardening applications. This is just an FYI and another very interesting fact to add to this already very interesting thread on germination.

Thanks.

A.

AmandaEsq,
Boy that's some interesting info about the Liquid Smoke! One more goody to add to the seed germination arsenal!
Thanks!!
Bev

If you use Alfalfa meal or pellets that works too. I've started alot of seeds in "Rabbit" Alfalfa Pellets and it's done wonders! Although it may start to smell a little when it decomposes. There are Alfalfa Pellets for horses too.

Alfalfa Meal Analysis: http://www.biconet.com/soil/alfalfameal.html

Alfalfa Meal: by darius: http://davesgarden.com/guides/terms/go/2295/

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfalfa

I found that some seeds really do need to pre-soak badly.

I've been using Alfalfa seeds along with hard to germinate seeds together, this sometimes helps too. When your seeds germinate let them grow next to each other in the same pot. This will nurture the particular seedling you want. Then when The Seedling You Want looks healthy enough; clip out the Alfalfa down to the soil line. Don't throw the Alfalfa away though, let it dry and add back into the soil when replanting or add to your compost.

I think there is a thread around here about Alfalfa.....

*~ Robin

Robin,
I've not heard the pellets or the alfalfa sprout either, another good bit of info!! Thanks!
You could eat the alfalfa sprouts too, double duty veggie!
--
Bev

Hydrogen peroxide does wonder for overwintering brugmansias in water. I pour a couple tablespoons or so in my buckets when I refresh them and it helps keep them from rotting, etc. I kept about 40 brug stalks in 4-5 water buckets this past winter and only lost a few, usually the younger ones without a woody stalk.