Hey all, so I ran out of SuperThrive the other day, and went to buy a new bottle. Now, I will admit, I shoulda been from Missouri, I'm a natural-born skeptic, and I like to see real proof of bona-fide research before I use a product. But back a few years ago when I was starting out with orchids, SuperThrive was recommended to me by those that know, so I got some.
Standing at the nursery with the bottle in my hand, reading the label, Holy Cow! I have never, ever seen so much hype crammed on one packaging card. The whole 5in. by 8in card attached to the bottle is filled with outrageous claims, bogus statements like "BioUsables" "Millions of molecules of World's science Miracles in each drop". Yikes, talk about sounding too good to be true! I put the bottle back, came home and started reading up.
There's very little research and almost no documented studies on this product to be had. Plus everybody who has had doubts (like I am having) has come up with a bunch of startling facts - this product is banned in several states because it contains an unregulated growth hormone. It should be kept cool, and loses its potency over time if kept outdoors (like my 4-yr. old bottle was). Its main ingredient is vitamin B1, and there are lots of studies showing that vitamins in general are not beneficial to plants. The concensus (so far) seems to be that all it really does is stimulate root growth, and it should not be sprayed on the foliage of orchids, or any other plant in bud or flower, as it can cause deformed flowers and other anomalies.
Scroll down this thread
http://www.orchidboard.com/com... to a long post by Ray Barkalow, who did his own small informal study on it.
Then this fellow seems to have gone much further into researching it
http://forum.grasscity.com/abs...
I am still on the quest, but what does everyone think about this? Is it just another potion that you're afraid to stop using because it "might be doing some good"? Our society spends billions on vitamins, supplements and "cures" that people start using because of hype, and then are afraid to stop. But to me, here's the most damning thing so far, in tiny print on the bottom of the back of the card, so small I had to use a magnifying glass to read it, it says:
"NON-WARRANTY: Makers cannot be responsible for use, whether or not thought to be according to directions (which have seemed valuable to 100% of users following them). However, write, with your phone number if you have a question on how to have easier plant success with SUPERthrive."
So much for their Double Money Back Guarantee, Greatest Guarantee- Offer PROOF Ever, Guarantee to be World Champion. (of what?) They did win a science medal at the 1940 World's Fair . . .
