Help! Superthrive led to very deformed flowers! Is this permanent?

[orchidaddict789]

I think I overdosed with superthrive, which could have led to mutated and deformed flowers. It is a clone of an awarded hybrid, and last year, the flowers were normal (meaning it is not a "first bloom" that might be strange).

My question is, will my orchid be permanently "mutated"? In other words, did superthrive mess up my orchid's genes forever? I'm really worried, because I don't want an orchid that'll produce weird flowers for the rest of its life!

[orchidlady]

Superthrive shouldn't cause a permanent problem. If the problem is due to other reasons, it may or may not occur again. I have personally used Superthrive since 1990 on a regular basis and have never had a deformity problem I would attribute to it. I just don't use high doses of Superthrive. Many plants have the occaisional deformed flower for often unknown reasons. Others (often meristem clones) can have a permanent genetic problem that leads to deformed flowers on a regular basis.

Susan

[Halloamey]

Hi ! If your plant had non mutated flowes earlier, don't worry too much. Just go easy on the super thrive treatment. I have never used ST, but from what I read it is a concoction of hormones and vitamins. The genes that regulate floral organ identity (which part becomes the petal, stamens carpels etc) are all regulated by plant hormones. If you give the wrong hormone at the wrong time you can get these transmormed mutant like flowers. I would recommend that use ST will the plant is in active growth. Once the growth matures, go easy on the dosing and let the plant hormones do the work on their own when the plant is resting and forming the spike. You can start using it again once the plant has finished flowering and started with new growth.