Hydrogen peroxide-H2O2

[floradude]

Since plants do not use oxygen, in fact it is a waste product of plants, and thankfully so, why bother with hydrogen peroxide. We just want enough good old air in our potting medium.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by floradude

Since plants do not use oxygen, in fact it is a waste product of plants, and thankfully so, why bother with hydrogen peroxide. We just want enough good old air in our potting medium.

What makes you think they don't use oxygen? Photosynthesis certainly releases oxygen, but plants have oxygen-consuming respiratory processes as well.

[floradude]

Where and how do plant use oxygen. As you pointed out the plants take in carbon dioxide with the air through their stoma and this along with the sun and chlorophyl convert it to sugar (food for the plant) and oxygen is released by the plant.
In my botany courses I never learned that plants breath oxygen for a reason; however, I am never too old to learn something new.

[aliceinwl]

Plants also engage in respiration where they take in oxygen and use it with the sugars produced during photosynthesis to fuel growth. If you look up “plant respiration” you can get the technical details.

Respiration in plants occurs continuously so I don’t buy a onetime release of some oxygen into the soil as a result of a peroxide application having any benefit. It’s not like the oxygen is just going to sit there once it’s released unless you have an airtight seal.

[estación seca]

Intro botany courses rarely mention oxygen use, but they oxidize sugar for energy just as do animals. At night when there's no sunlight plants are taking in oxygen, not releasing it.

[aliceinwl]

Maybe it depends on where you go? I remember covering this in my intro botany course 20 some years ago. But, it was the course for bio majors not general education.

[estación seca]

I took the bio sci core course series for bio sci majors at UC Irvine 1974-1976. In keeping with "modern" thinking there was no botany and next to no zoology taught. Everything was ecology and biochemistry. I learned that stuff well but was quite disappointed overall. Amusingly, my evolutionary bio professor (Bio Sci 101A) was Harold Koopowitz, who at that time was interested in bulbs, not orchids.

I took an elective in 1977, Horticulture, with Joseph Arditti as professor. His main research at that time was salt tolerance of taro. He told the class he picked that area so he could take research trips to the South Pacific.

[Merita]

Plants have two opposing mechanisms to obtain energy, photosynthesis, and respiration that occurs in the dark. As this process of CO2 release is small compared to photosynthesis, it is relegated to the background but it is good to know.

[floradude]

Interesting. I was 10 years before you. I think I did hear this once eons ago.