Let's remind ourselves what a vitamin is: a co-enzyme. Of course plants use vitamins, the question is whether exogenously supplied vitamins do them any good, since they synthesize their own. Vitamin B is used in tissue culture under conditions when plant
calluses cannot synthesize their own; so the Superthrive question is: does supplying vitamin B beyond what a plant normally produces do it any good? I don't know the answer, and the SUperthrive people aren't interested in really understanding the theory b
ehind their claims. It doesn't mean the product doesn't work; it might, but no one has done a proper test.




-----Original Message-----

Date: Mon Oct 20 09:47:03 EDT 2003
From: "Andy Rutledge"
Subject: [IBC] do plants use vitamins?
To:

Hey all,

I've read (here) several times that one of the strikes against horticultural
amendments like "Stupidthrive" is that plants don't use vitamins (vitamins
being a major portion of Superthrive's claim to effecacy). As I am not a
botanist and can find no articles on the topic, I'm wondering if anyone here
does have conclusive findings on or clear evidence of or knowledge of
studies on whether vitamins are beneficial to plants.

I ask because I see and read claims of B vitamins being of benefit as either
a foliar treatment or soil treatment and can't figure out why it would be of
benefit. Anyone care to weigh in?

Kind regards,
Andy Rutledge
zone 8, Texas

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************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Lisa Kanis++++
************************************************** ******************************
-- The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ --
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail +++++