Does Superthrive Really Work?

For over six decades, Superthrive has been both touted as a phenomenal supplement and villified as nothing but snake oil. The debate over Superthrive continues to this day amongst green industry pros, some saying it provides tangible benefits, others disregarding it as little more than a placebo.

Let's get something out of the way from the get-go: whether you use Superthrive or another product, one thing that the experts agree upon is that there is no substitute for practicing good gardening basics. No "miracle cures" for botched planting. (Superthrive doesn't even claim to do this.)

But the question isn't whether there's a miracle tonic for all that ails you. It's more a matter of whether products like Superthrive that claim to enhance plant health really work.

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Superthrive - the claims to fame

So where does all the "noise" regarding Superthrive come from? Well, for one thing, its ads are some of the busiest conglomerations of sales pitches ever squeezed onto a single page. There's nothing like them anywhere, but somehow they have managed to stand the test of time and continue pulling new customers. It seems that Superthrive's founder, Dr. John A.A. Thomson, knew exactly how to grab and hold attention early in his career, and sees no reason to change his approach.

But before you judge him too harshly, he also does something that very few other advertisers do: he proves his claims with not just testimonials, but by showing actual copies of letters from hundreds of satisfied clients. Dr. Thomson has taken a great deal of heat from his detractors, but the fact is, he's not the one who (for example) claimed that Disneyland opened a year early because of Superthrive -- Disney's own people said that.

What Dr. Thomson said, and continues to say today, is that Superthrive works simply because it provides what a plant would obtain for itself given proper soil, the right amount of water, and enough time. Superthrive just helps it to do it faster.

As to Superthrive's advertising approach, it works because it appeals to our desire to be challenged and entertained at the same time. Superthrive's detractors often take pot-shots at its ads, many for nothing more than basic disbelief that any product can do what Superthrive claims it can.

It's important to consider Superthrive's advertising scheme because it takes up so much space in the debate over the product's viability. Those who would like to see Superthrive disappear actually fight their battle on two fronts: the product's well-documented track record, and the fact that its marketing is both old-school and incredibly effective.

How effective? It comes down to time-tested consumer psychology. Consider the history of infomercials.

In the early-'80s, the Federal Communications Commission deregulated much of the broadcast industry, which opened the door to the first 30- and 60-minute infomercials. Bleary-eyed TV viewers sat transfixed in the middle of the night. Armed with rapidly-overheating credit cards, we phoned in orders for everything from real estate seminars promising to make us rich, to gizmos that baked bread and extended the life of food tenfold.

At the beginning, infomercials had a powerful effect on viewers. Before their inception, about the only way to experience the same effect was to be captivated by a carnival hawker.

We love to be entertained. And we love to believe that what we invest in will make our lives better. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't.

Today, after being bombarded by tens of thousands of infomercials, we've adjusted. While Ronco's Ron Popiel still makes millions with his trademark cry, "But wait - there's more!", we're a little slower to fork over the dough for the latest life-altering gizmo or tonic. Yet the parade still goes on.

This thumbnail sketch of consumer psychology is offered to make a point: even when someone offers a good product, we tend to view it with a jaundiced eye simply because we're numb to claims that can seem outlandish.

But what about products that really might make a difference - in this case, Superthrive?

Does Superthrive really work?

There are dozens of vitamin and hormone supplements for plants on the market today, most of which target a specific need or condition. Again, the way that Superthrive is supposed to work is by providing nutrients that a plant would otherwise produce naturally for itself under ideal conditions -- which is an entirely different approach, as pointed out repeatedly by Dr. Thomson.

Some green industry professionals swear by Superthrive. Others are ambivalent. Still others say they use it as an insurance policy, even though the positive results are likely a combination of good horticultural practices and the extra boost that Superthrive provides.

Kate Anchordoguy is a successful landscape contractor and author in Sebastopol CA who once used B1 vitamin products religiously on all of her plants. While she admits that anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that some products have a positive effect, it's not enough to convince her that the results are any different than when she applies more conventional techniques.

"There's no substitute for good horticultural practices, for doing things the right way," Anchordoguy says. "I used the B1 supplements about 25 years ago, but later read that controlled studies by U.C. Davis showed inconclusive results."

Superthrive's claim to fame

Acknowledging the skepticism, Superthrive nonetheless claims success in this field. Superthrive blends 50 vitamins and hormones into its mix and has been on the market for over six decades.

Dr. Thomson, Superthrive's creator, won a gold medal at the 1940 World's Fair in San Francisco for "Scientific Achievement in the Past Decade" for his product. Among Superthrive's hundreds of documented successes is a tree transplant job that took place sometime around 1950. Eighteen hundred trees were removed from the grounds of the 20th Century Fox Studios and stored outside in varying weather conditions for two years before being replanted along the streets of Century City. According to the company, all of the trees not only survived, but none of them even became sick.

So was it Superthrive that made the difference?

What the pros say

Anchordoguy acknowledges that Superthrive is a recognized transplant aide, but adds, "the key to keeping plants alive in those circumstances is to balance the roots and keep them wet."

But is using a supplement like Superthrive beneficial?

"Whether you can emphatically say it was Superthrive that helped the trees live or not, if they do live, it's worth it," says Jerry Allison, president of Jerry Allison Landscaping, Inc., in Santa Cruz, CA. "It may give them a boost at a critical time."

Allison says that he keeps about 20 gallons of Superthrive on hand and uses the product "as an insurance policy" when transplanting trees and plants in boxes over 36 inches. "If it helps you save a $5,000-10,000 tree, it certainly makes sense."

As to whether there's evidence conclusively proving Superthrive's claims, he says the results are mixed.

"Sometimes it seems like a miracle, and other times I can't tell any difference. I've had some good results, but can't say for sure whether the plants would have recovered from the transplant shock without it."

Testing the Superthrive theory

Ultimately, it comes down to whether Superthrive or any other product works for you. There may be something to the claims of success that could get lost in the hype, so the trick is to see for yourself. Many of these products come in small, "trial-sized" quantities. About the worst that can happen is you'll be out a few bucks.

But then again, you just might be truly amazed.