This was published in Stemma Magazine: Superthrive or Superjivecolor>size> The question regarding the value of Superthrive as a miracle tonic for plants is often bandied about in horticultural circles. Over the years, I had read claims that ranged from, "I put it on my plant, which had never bloomed, and it was in full bloom the next day." to, "It was dead - I put Superthrive on it and the next day it was alive and beautiful, growing better than it ever had before." I decided to find out for myself. If you look for information on the net, you will probably only find the manufacturers claims and anecdotal observations, both so in want of anything that resembles a control. Though my experiments were far from purely scientific, I tried to keep some loose controls in place so that I could make a fair judgment of its value, based my own observations. Here is what I did, what I found, and the conclusions I made about any value the product Superthrive might hold for me. On four separate occasions, I took multiple cuttings of plants in four different genera. In each case the group of cuttings were taken from the same individual plant to reduce genetic variance. The plant materials I used were: Ficus benjamina, (a tropical weeping fig) Luna apiculata (Peruvian myrtle), Chaenorrhinum minus (a dwarf snapdragon), and an unknown variety of Coleus. In each instance, I prepared cuttings from the same plant and inserted them in a very fast, sterile soil. The containers containing half of the cuttings were immersed/soaked in a Superthrive solution of approximately 1/2 tsp per gallon of water to the upper soil line. The other half of the cuttings were watered in with water only. In subsequent waterings, I would water the "Superthrive batch" of cuttings with a solution of 10 drops per gallon and the others with only water. The same fertilizer regimen was followed on both groups of cuttings. In all four instances, the cuttings that I used Superthrive on rooted and showed new growth first. For this reason, it follows that they would naturally exhibit better development, though I could see no difference in overall vitality, once rooted. I can also say that a slightly higher percentage of cuttings rooted that were treated with the Superthrive treatment at the outset. I suspect that is directly related to the effects of the auxin in Superthrive hastening initiation of root primordia before potential vascular connections were destroyed by rot causing organisms. In particular, something I looked for because of my affinity for a compact form in plants was branch (stem) extension. (The writer is a bonsai practitioner.) Though the cuttings treated with Superthrive rooted sooner, they exhibited the same amount of branch extension. In other words, internode length was approximately equal and no difference in leaf size was noted. As a second part to each of my "experiments", I divided the group of cuttings that had not been treated with Superthrive into two groups. One of the groups remained on the water/fertilizer only program, while the other group was treated to an additional 10 drops of Superthrive in each gallon of fertilizer solution. Again, the fertilizer regimen was the same for both groups. By summerÂs end, I could detect no difference in bio-mass or vitality between the two groups of plants. Since I replicated the above experiment in four different trials, using four different plant materials, I am quite comfortable in drawing some conclusions as they apply to me and my growing habits or abilities. First, and based on my observations, I have concluded that Superthrive does hold value for me as a rooting aid, or stimulant if you prefer. I regularly soak the soil, usually overnight, of my newly root-pruned and often bare-rooted repots in a solution of 1/2 tsp Superthrive per gallon of water. Second, and also based on my observations, I no longer bother with its use at any time other than at repotting. No evidence was accumulated through the 4 trials to convince me that Superthrive was of any value as a "tonic" for plants with roots that were beyond the initiation or recovery stage. Interestingly, the first ingredient listed as being beneficial to plants on the Superthrive label is vitamin B-1 (or thiamine). Growing plants are able to synthesize their own vitamin B-1 as do many of the fungi and bacteria having relationships with plant roots, so it's extremely doubtful that vitamin B-1 could be deficient in soils or that a growing plant could exhibit a vitamin B-1 deficiency. Some will note that I used more of the product than suggested on the container. I wanted to see if any unwanted effects surfaced as well as trying to be sure there was ample opportunity for clear delineation between the groups. I suspect that if a more dilute solution was used, the difference between groups would have been even less clear. It might be worth noting that since the product contains the growth regulator (hormone) auxin, its overuse can cause defoliation, at least in dicots. The broad-leaf weed killer Weed-B-Gone and the infamous "Agent Orange", a defoliant that saw widespread use in Viet Nam, are little more than synthetic auxin. Al

Sheila, I would say yes it was the hot wind from how quick it blasted. I've blasted my share and it takes a couple of days usually but mine are all inside. I have 3 equestris, 1 is mounted and all are under flo lights inside and not near windows. I water the mounted every day but skip a day every now and then. He's very different from yours as the leaf span is 3" tip to tip and regularly keeps 3 of them (center of pix below) !!! Bloomed every year for the last 3, first 1, then 2, this year 3 blooms !! Not much of a sequential bloomer, the mounted one ! His tiny (3 years, 4.5" pot) mother plant puts out at least 3 spikes and is short term sequential with them. She's a keiki freak and just started another. My equestris 'Riverbend' just did a year long sequential bloom, took a month off while putting up a new spike and is right now busy sequentialling (?) again !! I think you did right bringing yours inside but you changed the environment again after only a short time. Pick one and let it settle down and adjust to it and you should be alright, but not necessarily with this spike. upper left background = P. bastianii, left lower = Den. Peng Seng, left mounted = Dinema polybulbon, upper background = P. equestris 'Hana Nguyen' AM/AOS (mother plant), foreground mounted = P. equestris 'H.N.' AM/AOS, background = Leptotes bicolor, far right = P. Penang Girl 'Ching Ruey' HTH, Chryss

The only times I have had Phal buds blast have been times when 1) I have allowed direct sun on the buds (they are very tender), or 2) I have waited just one day too long before watering. Moving the plant or screening the buds from direct sun will stop the first kind of blasting, though the damage can be extensive. The second kind of blasting, if caught right away, results in the loss of only one or two buds, at most. Watering has always corrected the problem for me, and reminds me to be careful to water a spiked Phal a day sooner than I would a Phal in vegetative growth only. Is either of these scenarios applicable to your situation? I'm so sorry you are losing buds--I hate when that happens! Sweetcicely

B_girl: Take a look at the very end of your spike, you should see the makings of a very tiny plant there. It's very small and right on the end point. It should be green, or it may be green with a slight purple tint. If that has dried up and fallen, then I'm afraid all is lost. If you see this, cut the spike as long as possible. Cut on an angle to give the stem as much room to take up water as possible. If mom is healthy, growing, blooming and has medium green leaves, then put your vase close to mom so it's in the same conditions. Bright light for baby right from the get go. In two or three weeks (maybe sooner if kept warm) you will see the baby start to swell. It sits just like that for a while, then a very tiny leaf will make itself known. Change the water once a week or so, but if it gets cloudy, change it sooner and make a new cut to the end of the stem into the green. Once a little leaf comes in - then it's just wait and wait and wait...LOL. Once roots come in, start misting them a little once a day. Try not to wet the leaves. I use RO water to mist roots with. Once the roots are 2, 3 inches you can pot the baby in what ever works for you, for phals. And yes, all of my plants are kept in the greenhouse together, the phals have their own section so share the same conditions. This has worked most of the time for me. Sometimes the plantlet will abort (fall off) after a few days. I have lost a couple of small plants after potting. I've had one or two just sit there and do nothing. But this has worked for me more often than not by far. These little plants take off and grow quickly once they can root into something. After potting, in about three weeks or so, start with weak ferts. It's just a little fun thing to try. And if this one fails, try again next time. Nothing to loose, and maybe something to gain. Good Luck B_girl!! Pat.......