There seem to be a lot of chemists on this thread, so hopefully one of you can check my thinking here: Peracetic acid is created in large amounts by mixing concentrated H202 with concentrated acetic acid. But in the final dilution, there should be an equilibrium between the three compounds (H202, acetic acid, peracetic acid), in which peracetic acid is only present in small concentrations. However, peracetic acid reacts very rapidly, and the equilibrium provides a constant source of it as it is used up, making it effective even though it's only barely present. If this is case, shouldn't dilute vinegar and dilute hydrogen peroxide provide an almost identical product, if used immediately? The addition of a compatible surfactant, which seems to include common spreader-stickers and SLS, would bring it even closer. As far as I'm aware, acetic acid doesn't have any significant signaling effects on plants. Conveniently, salicylic acid is compatible with hydrogen peroxide - it's used as an aromatic stabilizer in cleaning formulas. I've long used hydrogen peroxide as a foliar "disinfectant" for ectoparasitic fungi and some bacterial diseases. It works - the main downside is the frequency of application, which is reflected in some of the studies linked above. Even full strength drugstore peroxide, 3%, doesn't seem to harm most plants as long as a small amount of spreader-sticker or surfactant is included to keep the drops from collecting/concentrated in small areas. It's pretty much equivalent to dilute bleach in this application, but without the hazards of applying sodium and chloride ions to leaves. I can't see the full paper linked in the original post - for those who have read it, how big was the difference between the treated and control? Often flat effectiveness is reported even when the actual effect size is very small.

I don't think of it as quite complete yet I have not addressed the bugs we encounter. So anyone else that wants to see something not present in it please let me know. The final version I will post as FAQ in the sugject heading.

Jodik says: The coir might look dry on top, but down in the center of the pot, it could be quite moisture-laden! I have found it helpful to insert little wooden skewers carefully into the soil to about root level, and leave them there... I take them out and press them against my cheek to test for dampness... if they feel at all damp, I wait to water... but if the skewer comes out dry, it's time to water. My coir is 4" deep in a closed pot. I put the skewer to the bottom of the pot. When I take it out how many inches of bone dry top "soil" should there be before it's time to water again? Is it 1", 2" or 4"? I just went 10 days without water and only 1" of the top was dry so am I supposed to water this direct sun pot once every two weeks or so to avoid over watering, really? And how much water for my 6" closed pot? I had been watering 1 1/2 cup or so once a week and my plant was fine but I'm now worried that was too much so I'm re-evaluating. I know what conventional wisdom says (water deep, not shallow) but that advice doesn't seem to apply to my situation. Also how long should it be before I see new leaf growth in the summer time (first season outside)? My 18 month old Red Lion so far has only grown new leaves once a year. At potting and at dormancy end.

Maybe we can repost this with a note NOT to reply that way it stays at the top? Is there a way we can sticky this?