Usable Fungicides

[sykosarah]

A lot of people have trouble either finding what kinds are safe or finding the directions for use, so I decided to put some of that information on here from my experience.

i use sulfur as a fungicide, and it is best used as a preventative rather than a cure, which makes it good for seed germination (when fungus likes to rear its ugly head in and gobble the seedlings up). What is good about it is that it lasts a reasonably long time, even in plants that you top water (about 6 weeks, depending on how much you use and how persistent the fungus is). It can be a powder that is wettable or dissolved in water and used as a spray (I used it as both to see which was more effective, and spray won by a landslide). You have to use a lot of it, which freaks some growers out, but it is a lot easier to us too little than too much. I used enough that it
discolored the soil a bit, an my drosera capensis red seeds sprouted just fine. It can also help retain soil acidity, a trait most CPs like.

there are cons to it though. For one, it smells for a day or so after you use it (but compared to neem oil, it smells like roses). Also, you shouldn't be worried about it hurting your plant as much as hurting you; if in powder form, you have to wear a mask over your face during the application, gloves on your hands, and you have to change your clothes afterwords. Not to mention the damage to your eyes should it manage to get there. The diluted spray is usually made from the powder by you, the plant grower, and that really is the best way to get the correct concentration (about 3 tablespoons in one gallon of distilled water should do it). If you really want to apply it as a powder, you have to be really careful to make sure it covers the whole surface of the soil (which sucks hardcore, trust me), if spraying, spray liberally, let it soak the soil.

and that is what I have to say on that matter. I used 90% sulfur by the way.

[sykosarah]

Now, another chemical that can be used as a fungicide that is better for treating disease rather than preventing it is hydrogen peroxide. Does it sound familiar? It should. Hydrogen peroxide is used to dye hair blond and, in more diluted forms, used to treat and disinfect cuts. Now, you don't want to use the strong stuff that is used on hair, but rather use the 3% hydrogen peroxide solution used to treat cuts (but you will want to dilute it further, I have heard that diluting it to 1.5% hydrogen peroxide has been effective without damaging plants).

WARNING, do NOT use hydrogen peroxide and sulfur based fungicides together, they will form a highly corrosive compound that will eat away at organic material. Generally speaking, it is best not to mix fungicides, but the reaction between these two is particularly dangerous.

Hydrogen peroxide should be applied directly to the fungus to kill it. It can be sprayed on the whole pot and plant without being damaging, so long as temperatures aren't in the extremes (should be at least 50 degrees, but not higher than 85 degrees. This temperature range works for sulfur fungicides as well).

The major difference between the use of hydrogen peroxide and sulfur is that sulfur is to be applied BEFORE fungus has established itself, while hydrogen peroxide is used to treat existent infections.

[sykosarah]

Now we get on to the last resort: neem oil. Why is it the last resort? Its smell is just that bad. A person might notice the odor of sulfur after it is applied, but a person would not want to be in the same room as where neem oil has been applied. It also tends to smell for a pretty long time, even though it doesn't last very long.

Neem oil and sulfur are also incompatible, though they neutralize each other as opposed to having a truly dangerous reaction.

Neem oil is very effective as both a preventative of fungus and as a treatment for many fungal diseases and pests in carnivorous plants. If it weren't for the absolutely awful smell, it would probably be the go-to treatment for most CP growers. I am not aware if any CPs that are sensitive or have an adverse reaction to neem oil, while hydrogen peroxide is probably the most dangerous to use on a plant, due to how easy it is to use too much.

Neem oil can be purchased in two forms: as the pure oil and as neem oil extract. Regular old neem oil is solid at room temperature, and must be heated to about 85 degrees to enter liquid form. It is also less likely to contain harmful additives and tends to be more effective. Neem oil extract can be sprayed at room temperature, but unless you research the brand, it may contain harmful ingredients. Neither last very long, especially as insecticides, which is one of the short comings of neem oil.

Neem oil is not soluble in water without additional chemicals, most of which are not safe for CPs. Thus, one must take great care in its application so as not to over do it. Sadly, neem oil is usually only effective for a maximum of a week, if even that long, so I would only use it for existing infections, not as a preventative.

[carnivorousstu]

Watch this video, the channel is run by the people who own Sarracenia Northwest. They post videos monthly on how to care for plants and also have a lot of small tutorial videos

[hcarlton]

Physan 20 is an effective fungicide. Smells very chemical, but good for both fungus issues (including systemic), and algae buildup.

[sykosarah]

Jan 27, 2014 15:13:26 GMT hcarlton said:

Physan 20 is an effective fungicide. Smells very chemical, but good for both fungus issues (including systemic), and algae buildup.

Safe to use after applying sulfur (I have a bit of an unknown contaminant I want to destroy, as well as what appears to be random algae wanting to establish itself, which I attempt to scoop up, but I can't get at all of it).

[sykosarah]

That was a question, by the way.

[jdallas]

As I mentioned in the video, you need to be careful with Physan 20. I wouldn't use it on delicate plants such as butterworts or sundews. Many people do use it on Sarracenia without harm. Physan is good in killing/preventing algae since it will kill the spores. Since it's a quanternary ammounium compound (disinfectant) it works by oxidation of the cell walls of fungi and algae. Vascular plants have tough cellulose cell walls that will stand up to it.

Here's another thread on the Sarracenia forum that relates to this one: www.sarracenia.proboards.com/thread/1093/pruning-progress-photos-winter-care

Jeff

[sykosarah]

Darn it, that is too bad. Drosera are so prone to fungus problems, they need all the help they can get.

[Not a Number]

Physan 20 will do a number on live Sphagnum moss too. I had a culture of Sphagnum moss that was getting inundated with algae. I sprayed it with some Physan 20 and it killed the Sphagnum.

[sykosarah]

Wow, that is some strong stuff.

[hcarlton]

Can be, yes. I actually haven't had too much of a problem with sundews with it, though I keep to avoiding the spots the plants are actually growing from, and yes, it can do a number on Sphagnum if you're not careful. However, I can spray soil and then lay sphagnum on top, and no issues yet.
Do note, Seedling Sarracenia can get minor burns from it, so careful there too.

[paulbarden]

I discovered from personal experience that Physan will definitely destroy living Sphagnum. I avoid using it (unles I can isolate the recipient for a time) for that reason. Propiconazole fungicides have proven effective and do not harm other vegetation, fwiw.

[sykosarah]

Is that the brand, or the chemical.

[sundewmatt]

since nobody replied to my message about a mildew odor in an isolated batch of seed pots i just planted, im about to spray them with 3% hydrogen peroxide diluted with equal amount of distilled water (for a 1.5% solution). my goal is to completely drench everything so it kills whatever is causing this odor, to the point where it wont come back. if unsuccessful, im tossing these seedlings and starting them over, this time isolating them one by one so i can determine which seed introduced the mildew. so... if anyone has any warnings about using hydrogen peroxide at this dilution in a closed terrarium, please post them now.
thanks
matt