Re: Has any one done trials?
- To: propagation@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Has any one done trials?
- From: P* E*
- Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1999 13:55:33 -0500
At 8:30 PM -0500 9/6/99, "Hortus" <HORTUS@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> Has any one done scientific trials on Superthrive?
>
> This is what I feel:
> + The ads are colorful and meet the minimum qualifications for non US EPA
> registration of a plant growth regulator (they do not make claims). The
> products snuck into the non registration requirement by being called a
> 'natural plant hormone' (no one knows what that term specifically means).
You can smell the Vitamin B-12 in it, same as the commonly available
liquid transplant fertilizers. It is my understanding that there is a
great deal of scientific controversy about the effectiveness of B-12.
The color and product claims make me wonder if it might contain sea
kelp.
A friend of mine used to peddle plants door to door when he was a kid
and sold Superthrive to his customers. He said he bought it from the
company's owner and that the guy made it in his basement? or garage?
> + The Bonsai news groups have touted the dubious success (non-peer reviewed
> or scientific trials) and snake oil attributes.
Too small to be of much significance, but I had 50 strawberry
transplants that I had to hold for about 3 weeks because of soggy
weather last year. I soaked the worst half with a Superthrive solution
and the remainder in water before planting out. Eight of the plants
soaked in water bit the dust, none of the ones treated in Superthrive
did.
For your own purposes, you can easily confirm or deny the anecdotal
observations of the Bonsai people by doing small trials of your own.
Unless your own particular growing conditions are identical to the ones
done in peer-reviewed trials you can't necessarily depend on
duplicating those results either.
> + Have I tried it? No.
I don't use Superthrive anymore because it doesn't list ingredients but
I don't see that as being any worse than the mysterious "inert"
ingredients listed on commonly sold stuff. I use sea kelp as an
alternative and I believe there should be peer reviewed literature
available on kelp and the ingredients it contains; micronutrients,
auxins, gibberlins and cytokinins.
Mother Nature isn't a binomial kind of girl. The "best" science has led
to more than its share of foolishness when conclusions from tests are
applied in an overly broad way or are not considered in the context of
the interrelated and interdependent complexity of biological systems.
YMMV, but positive anecdotal results from people experienced enough to
successfully grow Bonsai seems like it should be a starting point for
further inquiry rather than a target of ridicule.
> Regards
> Joel
>
>
>
> *************** Hortus USA Corp ***************
> International HQ
> PO Box 1956 Old Chelsea Sta, New York NY 10113 USA
> US Importer of US Registered Rhizopon Rooting Hormones
> Maker/Registrant of IBA Water Soluble Salts
> http://www.rooting-hormones.com info@hortus.com
--
Peggy Enes <peggy@unicom.net>
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