Hydrogen peroxide dilusion?

I have a feeling I spelled that word wrong....

Anyways, one of my orchids is moldy and I also have to treat some (stubborn moldy soil) potted plants and some seedlings for the same thing. It's not to late to save them! What dilution of hydrogen peroxide do I use?

Just a note: Our house's humidity isn't high at all, it's too low and I have my house plants uncovered which is why I'm puzzled about the house plants and I even let them dry out. They're in sunny windows.

The orchid was my fault and with the seedlings, it just happens. I know all the methods but I have problems anyways.


And the hydrogen peroxide will probably kill the living things in my Hydroguard which feeds on and kills the dampening off disease that I use on my seedlings, right? Any ideas on when would be a safe time to re-apply that after the mold treatment?

CaptMicha,

The site below does give a bit of instruction for watering house plants with hydrogen peroxide.

http://www.dfwx.com/usage.html

TY!

Couple comments regarding the article. I believe food grade H2O2 is a lot higher than 3% as in like 35%. The article mentions nothing about what is used to stabilize hydrogen peroxide. I believe all hydrogen peroxide that is sold has been stabilized.

3% H2O2 is fine for plants. If you bought food grade H2O2 for your plants and used it, I'd be curious to know what happened to them.

Many people have those brown bottles of 3% hydrogen peroxide sitting around for years. Best to use unopened hydrogen peroxide that you purchased recently or buy new. Hydrogen peroxide is usually stabilized with acetic acid. If you get your hands on hydrogen peroxide that isn't fresh, you may be getting your hands on a bottle that doesn't have as much H2O2 left any longer but acetic acid which some bacteria like very much. In other words, older hydrogen peroxide can lose its "punch" and can have an effect that is the reverse of what you wanted on your plants.

The hydrogen peroxide is going to do what is referred to as "senescence" to cells. That's what you want it to do. It will induce hypersensitivity in the plant cells which ages them prematurely. Cells that are on the way to contamination by a bacteria or a fungus will die off early which can stop an infection.

Although I don't fully understand all the ins and outs, hydrogen peroxide is also beneficial in that it deactivates some pathogens such as bacteria and fungi. It is my understanding it doesn't kill them but puts them out of commission for a while to enable the plant to begin building up it's own defenses. Best to get somebody better than me to explain this. Generally what I do is repot into fresh medium when I have a problem after dipping the roots in H2O2.

For your seedlings, you might want to try sprinkling them with a little bit of cinnamon.

equilibrim-- maybe an old thread-- but i can hardly believe no one questioned the use of CINNAMON???
i'm an indoor seed starting rookie and have been searching damping off, gnats and the use of H2O2. I came across another thread on SUPERTHRIVE you'd replyed to some time ago, and enjoyed the experiments you related on that thread. if only i knew my chemistry better.... oh well.

So, do tell about the cinnamon- please.

Before refridgerators and iceboxes spices and pickling were the preservatives. Mustard seed (Brassica: Black, Japanese, Indian); White mustard seed (Sinapsis); and Horseradish / Wasabi are not far removed from tne biocides used in tissue culture today.
Cinnamon contains the fungicide MethoxyCINNAldehyde.

"I have a feeling I spelled that word wrong..."
It can be spelled either 'dilution' or 'delusion' in this case. It is my understanding that just dropping the bottle will reduce the concentration.

UUallace-
thanx.

another Q... new seedlings... local farmer sugested drench with captan.
Indoors? sounds harsh.
if i dust w/cinnamon, i'm afraid i'll become overwhelmed with the urge to make cookies???
H2O2????

have you had enuf snow?? I drove thru Cinn after last storm- I75 north -- the fast lane was at 25mph on compacted snow and ice -- sun was shinning tho.

i'm west of cle just off the lake.....