Physan 20 - Pint - 16 oz

I have a variety of houseplants, mostly tropical in origin, and the combination of moist soil and high humidity levels resulted in incidental growth of some unwanted hitchhikers. In particular, I had problems with unsightly algal and bacterial slime in the cups of my bromeliads, green algae on the potting medium (bark) for my orchid, and Leucocoprinus birnbaumii mushrooms in my peace lilies' soil. My reading told me none of these organisms were harmful to the plants, but I didn't like the way they looked, could actually smell them, and in general they grossed me out. I have tried using other methods to attempt to control them, including hydrogen peroxide, neem oil, sulphur powder, and copper soap. These either had no effect, only worked temporarily, or actually hurt the plants by killing some of their leaves.Physan-20 actually worked! It quickly and effectively killed the unwelcome microbes. I added 1 tsp per gallon of water and watered or misted the plants as usual. The instructions (for orchids) call for 2 tsp per gallon, but I thought I'd try it at half-strength in case of adverse reactions. Voila! No more yellow mushrooms or clusters of tiny fungal balls in the pots. Peace lilies didn't skip a beat and are still flowering like crazy as if nothing happened. The cyanobacteria and accompanying slime is no longer present in my bromeliad cups. No leaves turned brown following the treatment. The smell is much improved. Phalaenopsis orchid is happy as ever and even putting out a new leaf. This stuff is exactly what I was looking for.My only concern is the bottle has many warnings about the product's toxicity. The label says to wear Personal Protective Equipment when handling because we're not supposed to inhale the stuff, let it get in our eyes, touch our skin, any clothing contaminated with it should be laundered separately, and it presents environmental hazards to local water supplies. That sounds scary. So I looked up the active ingredient and it's the same as in Lysol disinfecting wipes. In fact, it's also known as benzalkonium chloride which is the antibacterial ingredient found in liquid hand soaps and Bactine wound-dressing spray. The difference is the potency. That calmed me down a lot. I use Lysol wipes all the time and just wash my hands with soap and water after touching them. I have sensitive skin, but there have been no problems with using the disinfecting wipes on a fairly regular basis.So now I just use disposable gloves when mixing the Physan-20 solution which will actually be used on the plants. Once it's diluted, I don't really worry about it anymore. According to my research, the only real risk at that low concentration is that I MIGHT get a rash from prolonged or repeated contact. Again, I have sensitive skin to the point that insect bites cause huge welts and lots of itching. So I'm already well-stocked on cortisone cream and anti-histamine pills to use in case exposure to the dilute Physan results in dermatitis. It hasn't come to that yet, and the results I've gotten on my plants is well worth the minor risk.

Not perfect, it’s not bleach or ammonia, but helps keep some things clean without the destruction harsher chemicals cause. I use this on living plants/environments to try to control fungus problems and it is so/so.I’m in Sacramento so fungus problems become disastrous when temps go over the hundreds- which is a regular thing in the summer. Most fungicides don’t work in that heat and you can’t use oils or your plants fry.I use this on a regimen to try to keep the nastier things like powdery mildew down, it’s no cure - but it does help. There’s still no substitute for bleaching your pots clean with real bleach, it does do a decent job getting rid of algae in the winters from my concrete patios as well.

Have used Physan for a long time for both orchids and roses. Although I haven't sprayed anything yet, I do use Physan when watering plants. It controls fungus and mildew and any other disease present. I have also had success using Physan in bird baths and fountains (both out doors and in doors). Have always used a capful to a gallon of water - seems to work well.

I use this to keep a fountain clear of algae. I've used it for about 20 years. It makes a bit of foam, but I don't mind. If I still see the foam, it's still working. When I don't see the foam, I know I need to add more product. The fountain has about 100 gallons of water, so I simply add about 2 cap fulls and that's enough for about 3-4 weeks in this application. For my use, this is the best product. I've tried a few others from Home Depot, but they just didn't work as well or as quickly.

We have used Physan 20 in our fountains for several years. The product does a fantastic job of killing algae without harming the birds that occasionally drink from the fountains. To keep the birds out of the fountains we also maintain two birdbaths free of any chemicals by changing the water daily.

Great for sterilizing pots after washing with good soap, I use Dr. Bronner’s citrus hemp, then spray with this in a spray bottle. I do it with pots, tables, trays, and anything like that as well as sterilize old medium before starting seeds and reintroducing beneficial bacteria and fungi to rebuild my microbial network.

Works great for a cleaner for greenhouses or gardening stuff. You can spray it on your roses and ornamentals to help with blackspot and whatnot... Just don’t get any on anything you plan on investing.

Safe around pets and people when used according to directions. Easy for the orchid hobbyist to use not only for the plants, but for the cleaning of tools and the work area.