Apart from being more mindful of how often and how much water you give your plants and plant roots, you can also use a mixture of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide concentration mixed in 1 quart of water once a week to encourage healthy root growth in your plants' roots or treat the spread of root rot and root decay.
Cut off any diseased roots using a sterile cutting tool like a knife or scissors. You want to make sure that you're cutting off the roots that are black and mushy. After you've cut off any dead roots, we recommend soaking them in an 80:20 solution of water to hydrogen peroxide. Five minutes or so should be sufficient.
Hydrogen peroxide kills root rot-causing bacteria and fungi and restores the oxygen balance in the soil which boosts your plants' growth and health. Due to its chemical similarity to water, hydrogen peroxide is one of the safest chemicals you can use in the garden to combat root rot.
If you are treating a sick plant or one infested with insects, use a slightly stronger mixture of one tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in eight ounces of water. Don't use hydrogen peroxide on your plants more frequently than twice each week. If you make more than you need, you can store it.
Mix 2 parts water, 1 part hydrogen peroxide, soak your soil with this mixture.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is steadily gaining more attention in the field of molecular biology research. It is a major REDOX (reduction–oxidation reaction) metabolite and at high concentrations induces oxidative damage to biomolecules, which can culminate in cell death.
Under aerobic soil metabolism conditions, hydrogen peroxide degrades with a half-life of ca. 1.4 hours in diluted test solutions. This half-life value was extrapolated to ca. 7 hours for concentrated test solutions.
It is not possible to reverse root rot. The treatment of this disease involves removing the affected portions of the plant. Once the rotting or dying parts have been removed, they can then be repotted in fresh soil to give the remaining healthy roots a fresh start.
Hydrogen peroxide is effective at killing 97% of bacteria, viruses, mould spores, and fungi that are causing your plant to perish. Hydrogen peroxide kills root rot-causing fungi and restores the oxygen balance in the soil which helps your plant root system recover.
Once established, root rot is hard to treat. The best you can do is remove the parts of the plant that are dying (including the roots) and provide it with fresh soil. If the root rot is widespread and has affected most of the plant's roots and foliage, the plant may be beyond saving.
Depending on the circumstances and severity of over-watering your roots may need more time for recovery than others! The good news is that most plants will bounce back between 7-14 days if they're given proper care (which includes rehydration).
The benzimidazole fungicides such as thiophanate-methyl are very active against the fungus and are used as soil treatments to control it.
Although hydrogen peroxide can be beneficial for certain situations, you should only use it a few times a month. Rinsing with undiluted hydrogen peroxide can burn your organs and cause internal bleeding.
First option: Remove the plant from its pot.
Gently remove all the potting medium from around the roots of your plant. Once completely exposed, either spray or pour the hydrogen peroxide solution all over the root ball. Repot the plant in a new, damp potting mixture. Let the soil dry before watering the plant again.
It is perfectly safe for plants when properly diluted and used in moderation. Adding hydrogen peroxide to water promotes better growth in plants and boosts roots ability to absorb nutrients from the soil. Diluted 3% peroxide adds needed aeration to the soil of plants and helps control fungus in the soil.
The perfect curing combination for root rot would require adding 2.5 teaspoons of 3% hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water. This is equivalent to adding three milliliters of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a liter of water.
How to Save Overwatered Plants. Luckily, many plants can be saved if you notice the issue in time. At the first sign of overwatering, grab a bag of fresh soil and a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.
Another product that'll help prevent the spread of root rot is non-flavoured cinnamon. After having removed the dead roots, sprinkle a thin layer onto the healthy tissue before placing into a bed of new compost.
For planted seedlings: Spray with H2O2 solution of 1 part H2O2 3% to 32 parts water (eg: around 30mls per 1 litre - measuring cup recommended). For established plants: Mix 1:1 ratio of 3% H2O2 and water (eg: 1 cup of each). Bottom or top water as usual (water soil only, do not pour on leaves).
When peroxide is mixed with soil it will react with living microbes as well as dead organic matter. In fact, an older method for measuring the amount of organic matter in soil used peroxide as the main reagent. During this reaction oxygen is produced and can be observed as bubbles.
You need to replace hydrogen peroxide six months after opening it, but it will last for three years unopened. To test whether it is still effective, you can pour it in to the sink and see if it fizzes and bubbles. If it does, it's still good. Expired hydrogen peroxide is ineffective but not harmful.