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Originally Posted by gaberoo
Interesting stuff about Superthrive. Still, it seems like it does help (maybe not to the degree the advertising says, but enough to have some people notice a difference).
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I haven't said it doesn't work! I said the benefits are in the hormones.
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Originally Posted by gaberoo
So Richard...where can I get that other "stuff" (the chelated...) that some nurseries use to protect their wares?
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Most of the retail nurseries, retail nursery chains, and retail garden departments in box stores and department stores that I'm familiar with do not fertilize their plants. It is the wholesale grower-supplier nursery that has fed them -- hopefully enough to sustain them long enough for the retail store to sell. If not, then the nursery manager at the store simply picks a product off their store shelf, marks it "spoiled" for accounting purposes, and then feeds any plants in need.
A grower-supplier (especially large internet seller) may give their plant a supplement of iron prior to shipping. You can find chelated iron supplements in most nursery stores (organic and inorganic versions) in powder and liquid forms. The best of the powders is the inorganic EDDHA chelate, the best of the liquids is the organic Iron chelated in wood sugars (typically labeled ligno-sulfate).
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Originally Posted by gaberoo
My bigger question is: is there anything out there more effective than Superthrive? Say...some auxin or other plant hormone just as "effective" but much cheaper? Any other combo folks have found as an alternative to Superthrive?
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This begs the question of why use the product in the first place. It is not a fertilizer, it is a hormone supplement. If you want to supply your plants with nutrients, then first and foremost feed them a balanced complete fertilizer designed for its needs. If for some reason you then want to give it a hormone boost, then the Superthrive formulation contains the correct balance to stimulate the plant without shutting off the hormonal signals. As with any plant supplement, follow the directions because as I previously stated you can overstimulate the plant to the point of death.
For professional and agricultural growers, they will take two different approaches.
- An ornamental plant grower-supplier will use a hormone supplement that regulates growth, particularly to shorten inter-nodal lengths in shoots. These are widely used in ornamental horticulture along with systemic pesticides from the plug stage on up -- this is why you should be careful not to purchase an edible herb from the ornamental plant section of a retail nursery. Typically, the grower-supplied tag on the plant will say "not for human consumption".
- The growers of agricultural crops are more often interested in growth enhancement. Seaweed extract is commonly used both for transplanting and enhancement of budding on some fruit crops (Avocados and tomatoes for example). Superthrive itself is the analog of an agricultural product called BioCozyme which has an NPK rating of 2-2-2 (not to be confused with hydroponic versions). Beyond that, there are hormonal "cocktails" that a specific grower contracts with a fertilizer manufacturer to make for their crop which are essentially trade secrets. You will not find them advertised or for sale anywhere. Further, they are way beyond the scope and budget of most homeowners.