Should I try KLN instead of Superthrive?

[Ray]

[orchidsamore]

SuperThrive is IAB the same as K-L-H. The hormone is the same as the powder you see in all the garden centers as Roottone.

It is not soluble in water so K -L- H is 1,000,000 to 1 and Superthrive comes out about the same.

Both have a reputation for problems if overdosed.

I use Essentials as mentioned earlier. This is Gibberellic acid. It has the same effect as IBA but is grown from seaweed to increase the concentration. Since it is organic overdosing is wasteful but not harmful. It is used at 1000 to 1 so is a much stronger dosage. I accidental forgot to add the water to the sprayer once and used it at
50-1 without harming the plants.

Essentials has humic acid and lecthin which have the bonus of dissolving many salt buildups from watering.

Essentials appears to be a stimulant in forming keikis. I am getting many basil keiki on my Phals and Vanda. I posted a thread on this forum on the formation of stem keiki on Psychopsis. There are just too many keiki for them to be developing without some stimulant. More than half by plants are forming keiki (older plants treated for over 6 months)

Essentials has worked so well for me that I can literally see the difference from one week tot he next.

[orchidsamore]

Ray we were typing at the same time. Are you certain that SuperThrive is NAA. I always thought it was IBA. I stand corrected.

The big issue is that since they are not water soluable they are very low dosage.

[camille1585]

Yes, Superthrive is NAA. Just checked my bottle.

[Ray]

Yes, Jerry. I checked the labels.

And while it's true that neither NAA or IBA is particularly water soluble, the salts of them are, and that is what is used for all liquid versions.

In the powdered rooting hormones, they use the insoluble chemicals as they want the hormones to be in close proximity with a woody cutting for a long time - not washed away with watering - as they need a lot more coaxing than a herbaceous plant like an orchid.

[Orchidreamer]

Thanks everyone for the great info! Interesting, I never heard of the other rooting solutions. I ordered some KLN and it should arrive this week. Does KLN have any strong odors or staining colors? Either way, I'll try not to spill it this time around!

[silken]

I don't notice any odors or colors. It's not as dark as Super Thrive. I think my bottle says 1 teaspoon per gallon

[Ray]

Unfortunately, the K-L-N label does not address routine use on orchids, but only deals with rooting cuttings and transplanting.

A teaspoon per gallon is good for one-time treatments, such as complete immersion of bare-root (or no root) plants prior to potting, or irrigation of a recently-potted plant, but I'd stick to no more than a dew drops per gallon as a fertilizer supplement for routine use.

[Orchidreamer]

Okay, thanks! I potted up my bareroot and rootless orchids last week and I used up the last bit of Superthrive left in the bottom of the bottle (1 drop per gallon). My bottle of KLN should arrive this week. I hope this sudden change of rooting hormone won't cause any adverse reactions in my plants, since the (main) chemicals are pretty much the same. I'm wondering, should I use the one-time, 1-teaspoon/gallon treatment or should I stick to a few drops per gallon, given that I've used ST so recently?

[Ray]

Heavy doses are only an issue with repeated, long-term exposure.

A general recommendation: the hormones are highly unstable, so keep them cool and dark or they will decompose into worthlessness in no time.

A fresh batch (don't buy a dusty bottle on the shelf at your local nursery) kept in a refrigerator is good for about a year. In the dark at room temp, about 6 months. Warmer and/or brighter and it's "dead" in a few weeks.