I did get a bit of a chuckle that their homepage touts a 1940 gold medal. 1940? Do we think there have been innovations since then or should we be respectful that it has been around that long? I don't know how to feel about that!

My mom swears that ST is good to revive plants that are looking very sad. But I haven't tried it yet. She's always asking me if I gave it SuperThrive though.

I'm a sucker for the latest in snake oil when it comes to plants though. I went down the Noot rabbit hole and after 11 months really couldn't say that I noticed any extraordinary growth. So I cancelled my subscription. (Yes they only sell in a subscription model.)

I too purchased my Barnum & Bailey snake oil ticket and even though my rational scientific self said "are you nuts!?" I did it anyway. (I have no idea why. Crowd mentality maybe). Then instead of setting up a controlled experiment myself, just went and used it. So I'm just as guilty.

I'll use up this little bottle, but won't purchase anymore. My plants seem to be doing well before and they're still doing well, so other than hurting my wallet, it hasn't hurt my plants.

Stay well my friend....

You can put me firmly in the snake oil category on this one. Unnecessarily expensive, especially when it gets diluted down to almost pure water when applied. And it contains nothing that cannot be found from other, less pricey, more mainstream sources and some ingredients that have never been singled out as being necessary plant supplements nor for encouraging bigger, better, faster growth.

Probably the most telling feature is the lack of ANY scientific evidence or field trials to measure just how well ST'd plants compare to those who have not been treated. Lots of anecdotal remarks but nothing scientific to back any of them up.

Our resident container gardening guru, Al (tapla) has done some semi-controlled studies and did post his results in thread that was titled something like "superthrive or superjive" a number of years ago but I am not turning up in a forum search. His conclusion was that there was no visible improvement or better growth on ST treated plants versus those that were untreated.

Ken - I'll pm you for the special incantations. Please include some sage that I can burn before invoking the spirits as they prefer to come into an already purified house. I will of course wait till the planets are aligned before proceeding. Is there any special direction I need to be facing or will offering to the four corners of the earth (we all know the earth is a cube) be sufficient?

Here is one of the posts where Al is talking about Superthrive: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5486493/what-would-happen-if-i-put-root-hormone-directly-on-roots#n=9

The above post is closest to a controlled experiment with superthrive.

I still have a bottle from probably 15 years back that I occasionally use for soaking cuttings especially the ones that I have low/nil success rate. I have a small pot of cinnamon cuttings that I had treated with ST and it seems to show signs of roots (after 1 year !!!). But not sure if ST actually helped or not. Cinnamon I find generally difficult to root.

dont foget to hang a windcatcher over your plants ...

Thanks for the laugh, Ken!

I also really like the "superthrive or superjive". Very funny. I will go read that for my etification also.

But I will probably still continue to try all the snake oils available! I'm also considering getting a fish tank. Not because I have any interest in fish whatsoever. But more so I can water my plants with fishtank water. Anything for the plants!

It's really only more or less a mineral boost. I add it to my water though the dark winter months because I use RO water (no minerals) and coir (no nutrients whatsoever) so I figure it gives them SOME nutrients to absorb during those months when I don't want to apply a full-out fertilizer. But if I have Eleanor's VF-11 around, I'd rather use that which leans a bit more into fertilizer territory, but not so much as to force growth in winter. VF-11 is MY snake oil of choice!

Denise in Omaha

"It's really only more or less a mineral boost."

Actually, it is not. Although a full disclosure of ingredients is sorely lacking due to claims of "proprietary information", it has been determined that the two major components are vitamin B-1 and a plant growth regulator (1-Naphthyl acetic acid) that may or may not be of benefit for root development. And B-1 has never been documented as necessary for plant growth as plants make their own!

So NO minerals and only a very, very low concentration of some soluble N. If you follow the dilution rate, you are not applying anything close to a nutrient or mineral supplement. In fact, at label dilution rates, you are not applying anything much more than straight water!!

Here is my Snake Oil du jour. This one is intended for death to mealy bugs. I have tried so many different potential cures. What's one more?

It's not that the ingredients are really anything special, but maybe in combination this time it will work. I dunno but it was a free sample. So I will try. Death to all mealy bugs!

Denise, thanks for the info on another snake oil! I'm all about it!

Bill and everyone,

I too went down that Rabbit hole and helped lined the pockets of the inventors. I wonder what kind of high life they are living? What a smart bunch of people? Wonder if 'the shark tank ' people would of hopped on board when they first started?

Would you believe I have a bottle that is so old I can't open it. As if it is glued shut. What is weird that I see this stuff fly off the vendors carts at orchid shows...I am not kidding. That and leaf shine.

I always wondered if singing to them makes them grow better too?

If it makes anyone feel any better. the last time I sand while watering mine they all heeled over.

I am using a fresh bottle, yip, guilty as charged again I bought at the last years orchid show that a orchid growers swore by it that is works, he was selling it...lol

I do know that a heck of a lot better light, humidity, better watering practices is making for fine roots on my plants, but not sure if it has to due with Superthrive now. Confused..lol

So what do we give good root development to?

Good growing practices? better mix? Better lighting? Better smarts on what makes them grow better? Of snake oil? Or all of the above? Hum? Guess I'll never know(

Mike

lol, I've enjoyed reading this thread. I did use it some, back in my orchid craze years. I also presently have some, and do use it along with Dyna gro for some of my plants. Mainly newly rooted cuttings and plants whose roots may need a bit of extra help. Does it work? Beats me! Certainly doesn't seem to hurt, anyway.

From what I understand, it's somewhat of a rooting hormone, and may help with stronger root growth. And I always loved the container... looked like those old remedies from the 1800's.... Dr. whoever's magic elixir to cure all ills. I think the bottle's labeling has changed a bit, though, and doesn't look as much like that as it used to.