Hysan - Colloidal Silver/Hydrogen Peroxide
 

G'day Folks,

I was wanting to get peoples thoughts on the use of Colloidal Silver & Hydrogen Peroxide in your maintenance regime? there's a product here in Australia called 'Hysan' and it's been suggested to me that I should use this in conjunction with some Superthrive and also as a part of my regular fertiliser regime... this would be used on seedlings which are being encouraged to direct their energy in to growth rather than flowering at this stage (I'm keeping them at a constant 28oC & 80% RH). What are peoples thoughts/experiences? Also, I'm guessing this product would also have a degree of effectiveness against crown rot and bacterial infections correct?

Cheers from 'Down Under'

All I know about silver is that it is used to promote a faster healing as well as reduce bacterial growth. Colloidal silver has been looked into but hasn't been deemed safe and effective to use as treatment on human beings, I have no idea what it does on plants.
Hydrogen Peroxide is a goof antibacterial and anti-fungal agent.
I supposed it would be 'good' as a preventive treatment of crown rot and bacterial and fungal infestations, but I do not know if it would be helpful in growth.

What mix ratio would you use, for hydrogen peroxide as an anti-fungal agent?

Carol, You may use straight 3% H2O2 from the drugstore as a general disinfectant, but don't expect too much, as it decomposes pretty much instantly upon application, leaving only water. I'm not saying that it isn't effective, just that its efficacy is very short-lived.

If you're looking for a spot treatment, a stabilized H2O2 product like Oxidate RTU (ready-to-use in a hand-held spray bottle) or Zero-Tol RTS (in its own hose-end sprayer) is far more effective. Both stay chemically active until the liquid evaporates.

OzPhal, I'd skip it. silver can be damaging to plants, particularly Dendrobiums in the same way copper based fungicides can. And at 12%, the Hydrogen Peroxide is concentrated enough to cause chemical burns.

Silver is a heavy metal and I would think that any more than extremely minute amounts would do more harm than good except for topical use.

I am curious, how do you know if a metal is a "heavy metal" or not?

David I don't know the answer except that its something to do with the mass of the atoms in the metal. Some I just know to be heavy because I learnt it in school. Its generally the ones in the middle of the periodic table. The lower in the table the heavier.

www.ptable.com

The ones in pink on this link, assuming I've remembered right.

Those may be transition metals, but I don't think they all qualify as heavy metals.