Hydrogen Peroxide Vs Beneficial Microbes

[SodaLicious]

I had massive root rot issues in my RDWC, no matter what I used, until I got my water temps down to the low 60s. 62 is where I'm told pythium rot stops growing, and colder water holds more dissolved oxygen than warm water does, which helps those levels. once I got my water temps under control, root rot was suddenly a thing of the past, no bennies required. I occasionally inoculate with H2O2 and I use bleach to clean between runs, but the only root zone product I use with plants in place is DM Zone, and even then not very often. I haven't had the guts or time to try beneficial tea, but my guess is it would work even better at these temps than it would at warmer ones, due to the extra dissolved oxygen in solution.

You didn't mention what kind of system you're running, or any of your current environmental measurements, so I hope this helps.

Adding H2O2 to your water is NOT the same as increasing oxygenation. If it were, then either airstones would kill all waterborne microbes, or H2O2 wouldn't kill any of them...

My roots always have been slightly brownish ever since i started growing rdwc. This round I have kept temps at 62 and everything is pure white.

 

[ttystikk]

My roots always have been slightly brownish ever since i started growing rdwc. This round I have kept temps at 62 and everything is pure white.

Sometimes it really is just that simple. Nicely done.

Here's something else to consider while dialing in your grow; in lower humidity conditions, plants will want lower strength nutes. They're transpiring so much water to keep up growth and avoid wilting that they don't want it heavy. The reverse is also true; when you get your humidity up to where VPD (vapor pressure differential) theory suggests is optimal, your plants aren't working so hard just to stay turgid, so now they need relatively higher nutrient strength. They'll grow faster in higher humidity too, because they can allow their stomata to open and respire more CO2.

 

[click80]

Sometimes it really is just that simple. Nicely done.

Here's something else to consider while dialing in your grow; in lower humidity conditions, plants will want lower strength nutes. They're transpiring so much water to keep up growth and avoid wilting that they don't want it heavy. The reverse is also true; when you get your humidity up to where VPD (vapor pressure differential) theory suggests is optimal, your plants aren't working so hard just to stay turgid, so now they need relatively higher nutrient strength. They'll grow faster in higher humidity too, because they can allow their stomata to open and respire more CO2.

I luckily ran across an article on VPD almost two years ago now...VPD is bible to me.

 

[ttystikk]

I luckily ran across an article on VPD almost two years ago now...VPD is bible to me.

Yeah, when people talk about indoor growing from 20-25 years ago and how well they did, I ask them where they were doing it. Almost everyone who had good results had higher humidity, either due to an accident of geography, or something they had done in the room or in the house to boost it. This is one of those hidden keys that unlocks so much about indoor gardening... Personally, I think humidity is more important than having exactly the right nutes.

 

[singingcrow]

I can vouch for Capulator's beneficial bacteria to be TOP NOTCH. Been using it for a few months now. My foliar pack was about $40. The amount of bennies packed will last me a year at least. I highly recommend them. An air pump is great and with bennies you are feeding your plants organically by allowing them to absorb more nutes they need, prevent some infestations, and a host of other good reasons to drop the h2o2 in favor of organics.

Ps - although I purchased the foliar pack the microbes, which are a mix of different strains of bennies are wonderful for the reservoir as well as foliar spray, but he does have a pack for roots only, even more akin to root systems, both soil and hydro.

 

[Impatmalone]

:bong-hits::bong-hits:Hey yall...I could really use some info on this subject as I am in flowering week 3 and I have always used Hydrogen Peroxide for massive amounts of oxygen to my roots....but now I am questioning if I should stop the hydrogen peroxide and add beneficial microbes for the last month of flowering???Unfortunetly Hydrogen peroxide kills the beneficial microbes so really its one way or the other........any help greatly appreciated KGB

No pointmreally. The mqicrobes wouldnt have the chance to reestablish a highly functioning food network in that short of time best just to leave as is for the last month and use Microbes from the start next time. Ive got a microbe and soil and mixrobe and coco mix side by side at the moment. So far coco on top but Well see how it smokes

 

[CalvinGrows]

You could be a crazy man and do both, by that i mean use h202 once a week and tea the next day to re-establish the microbes. It's cool but wasteful. If you want to do h202 like once a month, that's fine. It could help with root rot and such, but i would suggest dealing with the cause rather than trying to treat for it. Keep your roots cool and moist but not wet and allow for the medium to dry out a bit. Always make sure to have plenty of additives in your medium for sufficient drainage.

Bottom line. Only use h202 when you must to your roots. Running an air pump in your water before you feed will do the same thing and wont kill the good colonies every time you feed. you need these microbes in soil more than any other medium. They help break down the foods for the plants.

Im stoned. I hope that all reads well.

To keep my water reservoir fresh I need to make sure that I'm adding h2o2 to it. That or pool shock essentially.. I have 24 plants and cant just sit around waiting for buckets to fill to water them when feeding daily.

 

[mancorn]

To keep my water reservoir fresh I need to make sure that I'm adding h2o2 to it. That or pool shock essentially.. I have 24 plants and cant just sit around waiting for buckets to fill to water them when feeding daily.

I think Mace died back in 2010. (And to be fair he did say he was stoned.)

 

[GDub51]

You could be a crazy man and do both, by that i mean use h202 once a week and tea the next day to re-establish the microbes. It's cool but wasteful. If you want to do h202 like once a month, that's fine. It could help with root rot and such, but i would suggest dealing with the cause rather than trying to treat for it. Keep your roots cool and moist but not wet and allow for the medium to dry out a bit. Always make sure to have plenty of additives in your medium for sufficient drainage.

Bottom line. Only use h202 when you must to your roots. Running an air pump in your water before you feed will do the same thing and wont kill the good colonies every time you feed. you need these microbes in soil more than any other medium. They help break down the foods for the plants.

Im stoned. I hope that all reads well.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm struggling with seedlings damping off and will microwave that soil but the 12 gal. pots are too much for cooking. I'll use the h202 water mix on these and cover in the sun for a few days then reintroduce mycorrhizae after it dries out. I lost a whole tray full of seedlings but have more to start over but what a waste! I hope this works. Anyone else have any experience with sterilizing 175 gallons of potted soil? It's too much to waste especially because it's after recharging with a dozen additives. The plants from this soil never experienced any rot, only the un-recharged soil was used but I hope "re-re-charging" with mycorrhizae will re-activate the good bacteria within a few days???

 

[Dirtbag]

I think Mace died back in 2010. (And to be fair he did say he was stoned.)

Mace still has posts as recent as 2020.

 

[mancorn]

Mace still has posts as recent as 2020.

It was actually a joke about resurrecting an old thread from 2009 (not about Mace).

 

[GDub51]

Yeah, when people talk about indoor growing from 20-25 years ago and how well they did, I ask them where they were doing it. Almost everyone who had good results had higher humidity, either due to an accident of geography, or something they had done in the room or in the house to boost it. This is one of those hidden keys that unlocks so much about indoor gardening... Personally, I think the humidity is more important than having exactly the right nutes.

I'm wondering now how the humidity affects my outdoor grow. I'm SoCal, Orange County 7 miles from the ocean so humidity averages the high '30s through the '40s. Fog is common in the AM with it driving up the humidity. I've never experienced a soil-based problem but most seedlings have damped off this year. I'll bake the soil for the seedlings but can't put the other 175 cubic feet of it in my oven!! I just re-charged the soil too (not the seedling soil, it was just soil from last year) See above, hopefully, my course of action will work. I cannot imagine what I'd do with all this soil if I had to dump it!

 

[mancorn]

I'm wondering now how the humidity affects my outdoor grow. I'm SoCal, Orange County 7 miles from the ocean so humidity averages the high '30s through the '40s. Fog is common in the AM with it driving up the humidity. I've never experienced a soil-based problem but most seedlings have damped off this year. I'll bake the soil for the seedlings but can't put the other 175 cubic feet of it in my oven!! I just re-charged the soil too (not the seedling soil, it was just soil from last year) See above, hopefully, my course of action will work. I cannot imagine what I'd do with all this soil if I had to dump it!

I lived in southern CA back in the 80s and when I go back these days I’m floored at how high the humidity levels are (at least to how I remember it). Are you sure about your numbers? I think your humidity is MUCH higher then 30-40 (which would be real dry)

 

[Flexnerb]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm struggling with seedlings damping off and will microwave that soil but the 12 gal. pots are too much for cooking. I'll use the h202 water mix on these and cover in the sun for a few days then reintroduce mycorrhizae after it dries out. I lost a whole tray full of seedlings but have more to start over but what a waste! I hope this works. Anyone else have any experience with sterilizing 175 gallons of potted soil? It's too much to waste especially because it's after recharging with a dozen additives. The plants from this soil never experienced any rot, only the un-recharged soil was used but I hope "re-re-charging" with mycorrhizae will re-activate the good bacteria within a few days???

These seedlings are started indoors or out? Im assuming outdoors.

Wonder if a foliar spray/s of organocide plant doctor would help....im thinking 1/16 of tsp!