Super Trive or Messenger - is there a difference - use which one or both . I found Super Trive @ home depot , lowes and OSH but can't find Messenger anywhere except on the web . By the way Super Trive was cheapest @ lowes . Going to start seeds later this week or early next week . Des anyone use bubler to start seeds ? How ?
Thanks .
Super Trive or Messenger ?
Messenger and ST are two TOTALLY DIFFERENT products....and do not have the same use. ST is a hormone/vitamin... Messenger is a Harpin Protein when sprayed on the plants encourages fertilizer uptake...not to be used in the same way as ST. The labels and ingredients should have more answers than I do. :>)
Thank you . As you probably already figured out , I know just enought to be dangerous . Do you use both ?
I emailed you a couple of days ago about your seeds pods . You never did say how much postage was unless it got lost .
I am having a bit of trouble going from Operating system 9 to 10 on my Mac . I wouldn't bother but Internet Explorer won't upgrade for Mac's anymore and the DSL company is the same , so I am stuck with a new system and browzer.
tony, I love SuperThrive and it's been a plant saver re transplanting, shock, stress, etc. Re your Mac - use Safari, comes with your OS. Good luck re your Mac, we LOVE ours, no spam, no viruses!!!
wow, you just all recruited a new ST customer! i'm getting some.
thanks!
I love super thrive. I use a little bit with every fertilizing. It's part of my regular regimen and my plants are doing great!!
I also throw a little epsom salt in the pots once a month or so. It adds a certain nutrient that keeps plants nice and green. One of the elements usually missing in commercial fertilizers. Can't remember off hand what it is.
BTW I use Firefox on my Mac. Safari still has compatibility issues on many of the sites I visit. Firefox is becoming more and more popular and for a good reason.
Yeah Mac!!
Gary, That would be Magnesium.
Ken Piercy
Von Russell Farm
Web site: www.vonrussellfarm.com
http://www.goliathboards.com/users5/vonrussellfarm/index.cgi?board=Peafowl
While we are on this subject,what is your opinion on spraying with Messinger on cuttings or seedlings in the winter. I'm zone 5 and have some Messinger and I don't know if it will make too many leaves,. causing insects. I would like to help my plants to be healthy and sturdy as long as I have it. Should I use it. Maybe diluted? It's late May before I can put them outside and I don't have a greenhouse, only lights. Any advice for me?Thanks!
Bonnie
That's it..thanks kenboy!
Tony,
When I read about your browser problem, I was going to suggest Firefox. I've had to get rid of Explorer. It was freezing my Mac. Netscape is OK, but I find that Firefox is slightly faster.
Tonyjr...you are down for some seeds...not to worry. As for Messenger, I was told to spray the Source Plant 4 days prior to cutting...or wait for active growth. I use it...but can't say I notice a heck of a lot. We use ST all the time when transplanting....love it.
Ladyblue, I have read where some folks had problems with Messenger used on seedlings. Also, Messenger is supposed to be more effective on plants that are actively growing. Depending upon your growing conditions, you may or may not want to use Messenger during the off months.
I've never had a problem with Messengers - I've just never noticed that it's done anything great. I can tell with SuperThrive and I love it and it only takes a little, I've had the same bottle for several years, just bought a new one...
Would it hurt to put 1 drop of superthrive in the Messenger?
Sidney
Don't know, Sugarweed... But I did remember that I am now using HORMEX instead of ST. The ST patent expired and HORMEX is the same formula plus one additional 'thingy' that enables HORMEX to be used as a rooting compound. AND it is less expensive.
I have used Messenger in conjunction with a bloom fertilizer and I did notice lots of blooms started happening... now, was that the Messenger or Mother Nature??? I don't think I would use it if the plants are dormant or semi dormant tho'.
IMO....Carol
Gosh, I didn't know that Carol! Thanks, I'll have to check Hormex out, I don't believe I've seen it...
I wasn't gonna go give em a tonic tomorrow, just thinking out loud.
I am still pruning brugs, hope that is okay.
Sidney
Sid, do yours die back in the winter?? I don't prune mine just to prune, I take cuttings to give away and because of that, they become lopsided. When we have a hard freeze, I cut them down because they are all dead and ugly. The only time I really prune is when they grow into the way. Pruning will inspire more growth and if they won't freeze, that could be a good thing...
I have a few cuttings I want to take for others. When I dont know what they are, there's not much demand for cuttings. LOL
I love them though.
Your cuttings are still named and getting ready for the ground in my bubbler.
By the way, I LOVE the shoe Susanne is wearing.
My problem what to do with 55 gallon drum full of water oak acorns. I will be sweeping them up all afternoon. Then I will gather and throw them away.
Sidney
I'm going to pot up my bubbler stuff earlier this year, hoping to get some early blooms...and I have some late summer seedlings that are coming along nicely, only a few because I cannot root in water, bubbler and seeds don't do well in the heat of my summer, second year I've tried it with zero luck...I'm glad those acorns are at your house and not mine, we have more than enough of our own...
OK, I am off to find Hormex! THANKS CAROL! I always forget to use ST. I went for my bottle and it had fallen over and was empty! Too much $ to waste it like that. I never noticed anything with it, but I was not good about using it a lot. I will try again! Anyone foliar feed with it?
Hi,
Finally got around to the photo of my plants with ST and without ST. I received these 2 plants from ebay. Both are unknown pinks. I promise both were exactly the same size when I received them. I put ST on one and not the other. Guess which one got SuperThrive? So do you think the difference is worth it?
Definately!
You have made a believer out of me. I use mine off and on when I think about but not I will use it all the time. Thank you, Joan
I had several seedlings that started out looking identical, I mean if one got a rounded leaf and the rest serrated and, or fuzzy, the other seedlings grew the same way, just carbon copies, identical. However, 'something' happened as the season progressed, and one seedling took off and grew up, almost to the sky, 11 1/2 feet, I call her Tall Twin - the brug that was identical never grew in height, BUT, started blooming when she was about 2 feet high, I call her Miss Pretty. Both beautiful, fragrant (thanks Kell) yet it didn't seem that size had anything to do with them Ying and blooming...I've had the same thing with cuttings/rootings, Rhapsody grew in a similar way, and the smaller Rhapsody rootings bloomed before my large one...I'm glad I didn't count any of the little ones out, but I assure you there were times that I came close to doing just that...
crystal, I do not know the answer, but I know that SuperThrive has been around a long time, and, to my knowledge, their packaging has always been the same but at one time, the bottle was glass. I think it's attempting to say the most at the least cost, and also a way to 'showcase' and set SuperThrive apart from other products, since the bottle is so small and brown (used to be dark to block sun, but now it's plastic). They might not be a huge operation but, over the years, I'm not sure I've ever known a 'real' gardener, in my entire area, that didn't use it. And, drop for drop it is very expensive but I just got my second bottle and the first bottle wasn't new when I started heavy into brugs about 18 months ago...that is the tiniest print ever, I use my magnifying glass...
Then, pray tell, what does it say? I'll google it and see if they will tell me. LOL
Sidney
The Super Thrive label reminds me of the old Dr Bonner liquid peppermint soap label. What a hoot to read all that stuff!
I'm rotating the program for my plants in the little greenhouses - Week 1 Super Thrive, Week 2 MiracleGro, Week 3 Mighty Plant (fertilizer with Messenger), then back to Week 1, etc.
All of our stuff is in GHs with heat and under grow lights, but would be roughly the same in the house with good strong light from windows supplemented with grow lights.
I would not use anything but Super Thrive on the seedlings until they are potted up into individual pots in soilless potting soil.
After potting up seedlings I would wait a couple of weeks and use 1/2 strength MG or similar water soluble fertilizer - spiked with ST for the first month - UNLESS you are using a potting soil that has timed release fertilizer in it! If the potting soil has fertilizer in it wait 6 to 8 weeks before using extra fertilizer
Remember - a good soilless potting soil has no nutrients for the plants, but it is safer to use because it doesn't (or shouldn't) have the pathogens and pests present in nonsterile soil or compost.
After a month of being potted in individual pots I'd go ahead and add one tablespoon per gallon of Epsom Salt to whatver water soluble fertilizer you are using, Brugs do like magnesium!
There's also been some discussion about Brugs needing calcium. You can get a tomato fertilizer with added calcium, it's usually granular, but I think MG has a water soluble formula also.
Maggi, regarding the magnesium/Epsom Salts... Do you add this every time you feed?
Thanks,
Barb
Hey Maggi that was great. I need a step by step program to follow. Even with a step by step program I lost Pink Beauty to rot and I though she was doing so well. It just goes to show you how much I know about it. I am going to copy this and put it in my book. Joan
LOL, I just called my daughter to pick up some epsom salt from the store. She thinks it's for my sore foot, LOL. I am so bad, I just let her think it.
Whenever I get good info, like Maggie just gave us, I copy and paste it to my email and then send it to myself. That way, I just print it out and put it in a book.
Crystal
WOW, oh, so nice to hear from zone 8a subscribers!! Tell me, what are your temps this time of the year and how is your humidity? About when do you have your first hard freeze, if ever, lol, and, do you winter your brugs, outside, in the ground?? When do you plant your seeds, and do your brugs have a 'down' time?? Do you use bubblers?? I'd LOVE to hear from you guys in my zone!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sherry, I read every thing you write because you are in my zone. I know about where you are because my DH is from DeQueen. You are more hilly and rocky but we are in what they call the Piney Woods so the land is not to different. Are first freeze is around the middle of Nov. but this year it was late and not untill Dec.. We have hi humidity all year. Now hi 50 and 60 and low 33 to 40. Had 4 or 5 freeze down to 28 I think.
If Maggidew misses this give her an D-mail because she has her brugs out side and realy does know a lot about all of this. Joan
Can we use Dr Bonners on the plants somehow?
Sidney
Hey All!
A rate of one tablespoon per gallon of water on the Epsom Salt will maintain a good level of magnesium for the young plants. Yes, I use it at that rate once a week with whichever fertilizer I'm using. At this time of year I don't have to do much watering in between the weekly feedings either, especially on the young things.
I don't have a bubbler set-up (yet) I do all my cuttings in soil, which I allow to dry somewhat between waterings. I am most pleased with the 'log' cutting method, even though it gives a smaller plant to start with and even though the roots do not develop as quickly.
This year our greenhouses consist of 2 Springhouses (from the FlowerHouse company). I'll post photos on a thread I'll start here this weekend, I hope. We heat our house with a wood heater and have the Springhouses set up to get the heat from a window. We had some really low temps here, it was 14 degrees one morning, and some Brugs that were toward the outside walls got nipped. Last weekend I moved everything around so that the Brugs are all lined up along the center aisle with the less fussy plants along the outside walls. Ken built a rack for me to use for flats of cuttings too. After I get out there and check things over I'll take pics and that will give you an idea of what the set up is like.
For all the Brugs in the ground here we use tons of leaves and compost to keep the roots warm in the Winter and damp in the Summer, although this past Summer it was so darned dry I still had to pour the water to them. We work a lot of compost into every planting hole and topdress with compost and partially composted leaves. In the early Spring I get out the Epsom Salt and apply it around the root zone, followed in a couple weeks by lime and gypsum (we have heavy clay soil here). When the plants start to push new growth I start them out on a light MG or similar fertilizer every other week. I don't like to push too much growth too fast at first.
For 2006 I think Ken and I have agreed to try a more 'organic' approach. We're going to use a combo of organic things like blood meal, bat guano, etc. The problem is with over 50 different Brugs in the ground, the organics can be expensive!
Re: Dr Bonner's on the plants - I've never done it, but I would suppose you'd use it like any other insecticidal soap, never apply it when there is direct sunlight on the leaves, etc.
I wouldn't have any idea what amount to use, though. I'd be cautious and test it out on something less valuable first.
I just think of the label on Dr Bonner's every time I look at the Super Thrive label, they are similar in that there's a LOT of reading to do, some of it with the aid of a magnifying glass for these old eyes! And I think some of the stuff on the Dr Bonner's label is really 'out there' !! Hahahahaha :~()
Yes my roomy has used it for 35 years and the house smells great after one of his showers. I too will add this to so much I have in a file from DG. I too copy and paste, but don't print.
Sidney
Is this soap the same as Dr. Bronner's Soap?? I can find zero on Dr. BONNER's soap, Google says Dr. BRONNER's soap with an R. What is the soap used for and Sid which one smells so good, do you use it for bath soap and flowers and, if so, how is it used for flowers and is it an insect soap??? Thanks!!