Have you noticed small, water-soaked spots on your tomato leaves? This is a fast-spreading disease known as late bright. If you don’t respond quickly, it spreads to the leaf stalk, the stem, and even to the fruit. That’s where hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) comes in handy.
Hydrogen peroxide for tomatoes, how do you apply it?
To use hydrogen peroxide for tomatoes, add a cup of hydrogen peroxide (3%) into water (1 gallon). Spray this solution on your tomato plants starting with the leaf tops, the underside, and the stem. You can also apply it directly into the soil. It boosts the roots by adding more oxygen.
Whether you need to use H2O2 for disease control, as a root booster, or preventive measure, this article provides enough information so you do it right.
ALso Check: Tomato Seedlings Growing Very Slowly
How Do You Use Hydrogen Peroxide For Tomatoes?
You use hydrogen peroxide for tomatoes by spaying it on your plants and the soil or absorbing it directly into the soil as you do with water. It’s a safe solution to use in your garden for fungi prevention or control, but you need to dilute it correctly.
How Do You Mix Hydrogen Peroxide For Tomato Plants?
How you mix your hydrogen for tomatoes depends on how you intend to use it. There are several uses of this solution but the major ones include spraying it on the plants or the soil.
How Do You Mix Hydrogen For Spraying On Tomato Plants?
You mix hydrogen for spraying on tomato plants depending on whether it’s a preventive or curative solution. You can use this solution to keep off fungi from attacking your tomatoes or as a remedy for already attacked tomato plants.
Mixing hydrogen peroxide as a preventive measure:
Add 3 – 4 tablespoons(¼ cup) of the 3% H2O2 to ½ gallon of water or 6 – 8 tablespoons(½ cup)of the 3% concentration in 1 gallon of water. Mix it thoroughly and spray your tomato plants.
Mixing hydrogen peroxide to treat fungi disease:
Add 10 – 16 tablespoons(1 cup) of the 3% H2O2 to 1 gallon of water or 5 – 8 tablespoons(½ cup) of the concentration in a ½ gallon of water. Again, mix it thoroughly and spray your plants.
In all cases, always start with the lowest ratio, observe it works and increase progressively if need be.
How Do You Spray Tomato Plants With Hydrogen Peroxide?
You spray tomato plants with hydrogen peroxide using a spraying bottle to spray the solution onto the plant. H2O2 kills any threatening organism on the plant. It also keeps off hidden fungi/bacteria in your garden from attacking your plants.
It’s advisable to begin with a few test leaves. Spray a few leaves and wait for 48 hours, after which you assess if there is any damage caused by the hydrogen peroxide solution. If all is well, thoroughly spray all your plants. This means you spray from the top side of the leaves to their underside, the stalk, and all the way to the stem.
If you are working from a greenhouse, spray your H2O2 solution in the air throughout the place to prevent moisture-caused mildew.
Furthermore, you should spray your tomatoes in 4 cycles of 2 – 3 consecutive days each, to curb severe fungi outbreaks. If it isn’t a serious case, 5 random days will be enough. Also, when you want to prevent your plant from the disease, spray after every 14 days. Additionally, apply a fungal preventative solution, after spraying your tomatoes to keep the disease at bay.
Note that it’s good to spray your tomatoes after it rains because the hydrogen peroxide has been washed away.
How Do You Mix Hydrogen Peroxide For Soil?
You mix hydrogen peroxide for soil by adding 1 teaspoon(5ml) of H2O2 into a 240ml cup of water. Mix the solution thoroughly and apply it directly onto the soil.
How Do You Apply Hydrogen Peroxide To The Soil?
You apply hydrogen peroxide to the soil by spraying or absorbing it onto the soil like water. It’s necessary to aerate your tomato soil to prevent the growth of mold, fungus, or bacteria. When you apply H2O2 directly to the soil, it kills these unwanted growths by oxidizing them.
The growths mentioned above are key causes of root rot. Even in active cases, the 1 teaspoon H2O2/ 240ml water ratio is effective.
What’s more, hydrogen peroxide breaks immediately into two – water and an extra oxygen molecule that enhances soil aeration. H2O2 promotes adequate oxygen circulation even in the most compact soils like clay. Well-aerated soil boosts the growth of your tomato roots.
To check the status of your tomato roots, pull out one of your plants from the soil. Healthy roots should be long and untangled, and the main one has fuzzy white growth on it.
Other Uses Of Hydrogen Peroxide On Tomatoes
Besides spraying your tomato plants and the soil in which they grow, hydrogen peroxide has other uses including the following.
- Pre-plant seed treatment
- Planting containers and greenhouse disinfection
- Pests control
- Weed control
Let’s discuss each of the above uses hereunder. Keep reading.
1. Pre-Plant Seed Treatment
You can sanitize your seeds by soaking them in hydrogen peroxide for 5 minutes before planting.
How do you mix your solution? By adding 150ml of 3% H2O2/ 30ml of 35% of the solution and 30 ml of vinegar to room temperature water (990ml). Ensure that all your seeds are in contact with the hydrogen peroxide solution.
When you soak, the solution kills all pathogens present in the seeds. As a result, your seeds grow healthily into plants. If you already have your seedlings on the bed, you could spray them or spray directly onto the soil to get rid of any pathogen around.
2. Planting Greenhouse, Containers, And Tools Disinfection
Some pathogens can hide in your tomato planting pots and tools or in the greenhouse. These germs can spread to your plants, causing diseases.
For that reason, you should disinfect your greenhouse, planting containers, and garden tools with hydrogen peroxide. A 7 – 9% concentration is up for the task.
3. Pests Control
Most insecticides contain hydrogen peroxide. Hence, you can use hydrogen peroxide to fight pests and their eggs in your garden. It can control pests such as fungus gnat larvae, mealybugs, mites, and aphids. Although it might not be effective like the usual pesticides, it can help to some extent.
For effective pests repelling and killing, 3% and 5% concentrations do a great job. Nonetheless, you can use higher concentrations but don’t go beyond 35% as they’ll burn your plants.
4. Weed Control
You can control weeds in your garden with hydrogen peroxide. How do you mix the solution? By adding 30ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide with a ¼ spray bottle of water. This solution is effective in dealing with all stubborn weeds in your garden.
FAQ
How Do You Use Hydrogen Peroxide And Baking Soda On Tomatoes?
To use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda for tomatoes, start by spraying your plants with the hydrogen peroxide solution. Make sure you spray them thoroughly covering the leaves, stalks, and stem. Wait for 24 hours and then spray your tomatoes with a baking soda solution. Repeat these sessions after 7 days for severe cases and 10 – 14 days for less serious cases.
Is Hydrogen Peroxide Safe For Vegetable Plants?
Yes, hydrogen peroxide is safe for vegetable plants. There’s a food-grade hydrogen peroxide suitable for use in your vegetable garden. However, you need to dilute it correctly before using the solution. Its ability to quickly break down into water and oxygen molecules makes it ideal for use in an organic garden.
How Much Hydrogen Peroxide Is Too Much For Tomato Plants?
Any hydrogen peroxide concentration exceeding 35% is too much for tomato plants. Such solutions will kill your plants. Although hydrogen peroxide is so beneficial to your tomatoes and other vegetables, it’s good to keep the ratios in check to avoid damaging your plants in the process.
Can Hydrogen Peroxide Be Used As A Foliar Spray For Tomatoes?
Yes, hydrogen peroxide can be used as a foliar spray for tomatoes. Add 2 cups of 35% or 22 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide into 20 gallons of water. This amount is ideal for 1 acre but you can adjust according to the size of your planting area.
Can You Mix Hydrogen Peroxide And Fertilizer For Tomato Plants?
Yes, you can mix hydrogen peroxide and fertilizer for tomato plants. H2O2 has an extra oxygen molecule, making it a great fertilizer. The extra oxygen molecule aerates the soil, increasing the oxygen supply.
As a result, the plant roots can absorb enough nutrients for the healthy growth of your plants.
Wrap Up
Hydrogen peroxide is a great contributor to healthy tomatoes. You can use it to prevent your tomato plants from harmful bacteria and fungi or to heal already attacked plants.
All you need to do is have the right mixture of H2O2 concentration and water for the optimum performance of this solution. Add the correct quantities of hydrogen peroxide to the appropriate amounts of water and spray your plants or directly onto the soil.
Additionally, you can use hydrogen peroxide to treat your seed before planting, disinfect your planting area and tools, or control pests and weeds in your tomato garden.
