What exactly is superthrive?

[marydaniellesantos]

Originally Posted by Angurek

Is it a rooting hormone, or is it a fertilizer? I keep hearing miraculous and exaggerated stories about how it brings back plants that were on heaven's door.

I don't belive the hype, but if it is a good fertilizer, I don't see why I can't try it on my plants. Anyone know what vendors sell it?

It's not a fertilizer, but it is miraculous! That's for sure. You can it to your fertilizing regime. I use it as a treat for my chids, and they are extremely happy and healthy.

[marydaniellesantos]

Originally Posted by stefpix

how do you see the results? can you elaborate? it is expensive. do you use a control plant with no superthrive and notice a difference?

It's a concentrated solution, so a little goes a long way if you only have a handful of chids.

[greenpassion]

Can you mist orchids with it? Would it be benificial to do that?

[marydaniellesantos]

Originally Posted by greenpassion

Can you mist orchids with it? Would it be benificial to do that?

You don't want to get it on the foliage. You can however soak the pots in warm water, and a little of Superthrive. That also helps with using a little less of it.

[rwj5279955]

As someone who keeps a bottle of SuperThrive around, I would not recommend using it for anything other than rooting transplants, and for people who's plants are less than healthy.
Do not use it during flowering, as you may stunt the flowers, or not get as many.
SuperThrive is good for root growth, and that's about it. Why why would anyone want to encourage root and vegetative growth during bloom?

[Wrebbitrocks]

it has hormones in it and it comes in a dark bottle as light and high temps degrade it. i would also buy a big bottle but found that after a while it was no longer efficient as i could not use it fast enough to prevent crusting over. now i only buy small bottles at a time and they stay in the fridge. some people also say that it can cause mutations. i think the benefits outweigh the cons. as long as i avoid the leaves and pay close attention to the bloom season

[Orchidreamer]

I've been using it on my orchids for the past year, and I guess I can see some improvement. Nothing dramatic though. I used to water my healthy plants with it, until one of the plants bloomed with the strangest flowers ever. I don't know if ST was directly the cause, but either way, I stopped using it for healthy plants and now I reserve it for repotted, rootless, and bareroot plants.

I wonder, for how long is a bottle of ST viable after it is opened? I kept mine in a dark closet, and I know I should've kept it in the fridge.

[greenpassion]

Thank you for setting me straight on not misting my orchids with ST. Has anyone used Messenger before? I've used it on my tropicals out on my deck, (spraying the foliage) and they love it, but I don't want to use it on my orchids without some previous advice from someone who knows what they're doing!!

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[rwj5279955]

Messenger works by simluating stress on plant tissue. Think of it like antibiotics for plants. Only you apply this stuff before anything bad happens, to build resistance to stress from pest attack and disease.

Personally, I don't like my food pumped up with hormones, and I surely don't like my plants "juiced" up on anything crazy. A balanced diet and a vigilant eye are worth their weight in gold. Has anyone ever went fishing for native trout? They are much smaller than their farm raised kin, but are much prettier and taste sweeter.
My point is, I guess supplements have their place, but why trade natural, colorful, sometimes sweet smelling flowers for unnaturaly large, washed out, and just not normal flowers? Traits only experienced breeders should have control over= bigger brighter flowers, on vigorous plants through selection.