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[snalice at cnmnetwork.com]

hardy  Aroids)" <ARISAEMA-L at NIC.SURFNET.NL>
From: Sue Cox <snalice at CNMNETWORK.COM>
Subject: Re: soaking seed in peroxide
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.3.95.iB1.0.1030127130359.23043A-100000 at vtn1>
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Dian,

I bought a bottle of 35% food grade Hydrogen Peroxide (no bad chemicals t=hat the
drugstore varieties have).  For sprouting seeds the bottle recommends dil=uting
the 35% peroxide down to 3% (what drugstore solutions are sold at), then =adding 1
oz. of the 3% solution to a pint of water and soak them overnight, the pu=rpose
being that it will keep molds and mildews from killing the seedlings.  Th=ere are
also directions for a 'plant energizer' calling for 1 oz. of 3% solution =to a
'quart' of water for spraying on leaves, roots or anything you would like=to give
a boost to.  Hydrogen peroxide, at the right solution will give a boost t=o
anything you use it for (well...almost anything).  I'm guessing that the =3%
solution that you are using might be too strong and may permanently kill =the
molds especially after soaking for 3 days.  Peroxide will kill molds and =mildews
at stronger solutions, but will boost growth at lower solutions. I used i=t to do
just that on some Mangrove propagules starting in wet, cold conditions wh=ere I
knew mold was going to be an issue for them.  In my situation I used the =solution
recommended for sprouting seeds and sprayed them from time to time if it =looked
like the mold was overtaking the seedlings.  It 'temporarily' killed the =mold on
the surfaces of each seedling, eventually allowing the molds to grow back=.  It
meant that I had to keep watch, but it was advantageous in the sense that=it
retarded the molds long enough to keep it from killing the seedlings yet =didn't
completely do away with the molds and mildews.   Anyway, you might try di=luting
the peroxide solution and see what happens.

Best wishes,
Susan Cox


1/27/03 1:15:26 PM, Diane Whitehead <ua024 at VICTORIA.TC.CA> wrote:

>I read somewhere that peroxide (H2O2) helps seeds germinate better becau=se
>of the extra oxygen.  I am conducting a test on 8 lots of Iris reticulat=a
>seed I bought. According to Deno, they require a long time of alternatin=g
>temperatures to germinate.  The person who sold me the seed says he gets
>only about 25% germination.  I decided to see if I could speed things up=,
>so I divided each packet in half and then soaked each lot of seed for 2
>days, either in plain water or in hydrogen peroxide (from the drugstore =-
>used for first aid for cuts on the skin)
>
>I used a plastic moulded insert from a chocolate box, which worked very
>well.  After I removed the seeds to plant, I left the soaking tray becau=se
>I thought I might soak some other seeds.  I didn't, and 5 days later, al=l
>the water-filled cavities were growing a lot of colourful molds, but non=e
>of the peroxide ones had any mold at all. I don't know whether this is
>going to be beneficial to the seeds or not.  It's possible they need mol=d
>to help break down their seedcoats.
>
> Diane Whitehead Victoria, British
>Columbia, Canada maritime zone
>8 cool mediterranean climate (dry summer, rainy winter - 68 cm annually)
>sandy soil
>
>