If you’re a new hydroponic gardener it’s important to know how using hydrogen peroxide can help supercharge your crops and give you a bigger, better harvest. Learning to grow a hydroponic garden can be interesting and fruitful! RainMakers is a leading hydroponic supplier and can help you get started.
What is Hydrogen Peroxide H2O2?
Hydrogen peroxide, commonly referred to as just “peroxide”, is water with another oxygen atom attached to it. Because of this, the symbol for it is H202 instead of H20. Peroxide is well known for its use in detergents, disinfectants, and even hair products. Although it was discovered by a French chemist in 1818, it was far too unstable at that time and was not produced on an industrial level until a couple of centuries later.
But you didn’t come here for a history lesson, what you want to know is just how this compound can help your cannabis plants grow bigger and stronger. Keep reading to find out!
Hydrogen Peroxide and Hydroponics
The world of hydroponics is full of pests and bacteria that aim to destroy your crops when certain conditions allow them to. For example, some bacteria flourish in conditions where the oxygen levels of the water are low. Temperature also plays a role in bacteria festering. If the temperature of your solution or tank is 70 degrees or higher, there is a very dangerous chance that bacteria and pathogens can form and begin to destroy your precious crops. The reason for this is the higher the temperature of a medium the less oxygen it contains.
By now you’re probably starting to see a common theme. A lack of oxygen puts your crops at serious risk. And this is one of the main reasons why peroxide, and the extra oxygen atom it contains, makes for a great addition to a growing medium. Once the peroxide is added to a hydroponic nutrient solution, you can then evenly apply it to the soil where the plants are growing. The extra oxygen atom goes right to the root of your plants, helping them grow more vigorously and it also promotes more root growth.
But optimal growth is not the only benefit you will receive. Using peroxide the right way will help sterilize your grow medium and the area around it as well. This helps fight off devastating bacteria that could wreak havoc and cause irreparable damage to your plants. A couple of examples of these bacteria and pathogens are fusarium and pythium. These are bad actors that can turn a hopeful harvest into a sad story.
Choosing the Right Kind of Hydrogen Peroxide
Peroxide is commonly found at 3% for personal use, but for hydroponic systems the strength should be at 34% to get optimal benefits. Make sure that you check the labels before purchasing any bottle and confirm that purified water is the inactive ingredient (distilled water is also fine). The bottle should also make clear that stabilized hydrogen peroxide is the active ingredient.
Double Up Your Protection with Isopropyl Alcohol
With the peroxide helping to keep your plants healthy and free of bacteria, you now need to prevent contamination of the tools and equipment you use to plant, trim, and water your crops. This is where a solution such as Isopropyl Alcohol can come in handy and make the difference in complete sanitation of the items that come in contact with your plants.
Isopropyl Alcohol is compatible with many materials and dries fairly quickly, but this depends mostly on how much water is mixed into it. Surface tension will increase as more water is added to the mix. We carry the 99.9% isopropyl here at RainMakers!
We now have both 1 gallon and 5 gallon containers of these product, plus many other items to help you grow your best plant ever. Stop by RainMakers Supply anytime to see the vast array of grow products we offer!
Grow your own.