I soak my carboys in Oxyclean to clean off the krausen. In an attempt to be green, I would like to use the left over OC/water mix to water the plants. Do you know if I will kill the plants by doing this? Thanks
Funny! I was just googling this. Link rot got the EPA link.I know this is a super old post, but just in case anyone else comes by this. Sodium peracarbonate (oxiclean) is used in aquaculture and breaks down into hydrogen peroxide plus carbonate and free sodium (alkaline) when mixed with water. It’ll raise the alkalinity of the soil a bit if you’re continuously applying it, but otherwise soil has very good buffering capacity and will bounce back with time (I’m an agricultural soil microbiologist). If you’re concerned you could always apply a urea-based fertilizer when it’s time to feed your plants, as urea tends to increase soil acidity for reasons I won’t go into. You could also periodically use some slow release fertilizers specifically designed for rhododendrons, which also help reduce pH. Just don’t mix an acid, even vinegar, directly with your wash mix. It could make a much more corrosive acid, so just be careful.
So what you're saying is if we pour it on our gardens (I live in the country and have 1), it's best to expel beer waste product to accompany it?I know this is a super old post, but just in case anyone else comes by this. Sodium peracarbonate (oxiclean) is used in aquaculture and breaks down into hydrogen peroxide plus carbonate and free sodium (alkaline) when mixed with water. It’ll raise the alkalinity of the soil a bit if you’re continuously applying it, but otherwise soil has very good buffering capacity and will bounce back with time (I’m an agricultural soil microbiologist). If you’re concerned you could always apply a urea-based fertilizer when it’s time to feed your plants, as urea tends to increase soil acidity for reasons I won’t go into. You could also periodically use some slow release fertilizers specifically designed for rhododendrons, which also help reduce pH. Just don’t mix an acid, even vinegar, directly with your wash mix. It could make a much more corrosive acid, so just be careful.
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