Introducing Electric Current on orchids

[Ray]

Swimmie;

You may have 30 years of plant-growing experience, but admittedly not much with orchids. I laud you for embarking on this journey with the rest of us.

I, as a plant grower for twice as long, and an orchid grower for over 45 years, an engineer, scientist and former professor, AND contributing member of this forum (and others) for about as long as it has existed, take it as my duty to help folks understand the reality of the subject being discussed. That is my way of being a help to the community, and many agree.

While some of your experience may carry over to orchids, not all of it will, yet you continue to make comments that teach more than you know. My comments are meant to clarify or correct such instances - by you or anyone (sometimes even me) - and I will continue to do so. If you don't want my comments, don't post, or at least don't post information that may be misinterpreted or questioned.

I think it's interesting that the individual who recently made a first-post impression through the use of profanity, followed shortly by derision of folks that had different opinions, is offended by replies to their posts.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by Ray

I think it's interesting that the individual who recently made a first-post impression through the use of profanity, followed shortly by derision of folks that had different opinions, is offended by replies to their posts.

I'm generally neutral-minded, but did notice a post :

CLICK HERE

These words "Not sure why nobody flagged this up" should 'probably' not have been said - because it could easily be interpreted as a patronising sort of remark.

Not saying that this is what S.O. was actually thinking. But it could come across that way. He/she can write whatever they want though. It was just an observation. That's about it. Anyway - an answer to the 'question' is ----- we only saw the photo of the plant seemingly just lifted up out of the spaghnum moss - where the OP was assumed to just show us the state of the plant. The other photos of the bark came only later - and nobody saw those additional photos - except for S.O.

I even had to spend around 2 minutes with some trial and error, working out how to link that particular post. Finally worked it out.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

I even had to spend around 2 minutes with some trial and error, working out how to link that particular post. Finally worked it out.

I guess you must have found the right method, but linking a post is done the same way as linking to any other website: create a new post (and not quick reply) and click the little globe icon with a link under it. Stick the url of the thread or other website there. You can't link to a particular post directly. What you could have also done was make a draft reply in that thread to quote the post and then copy it to your post here. Or copy the post directly here and add the bbcode afterwards.

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by camille1585

You can't link to a particular post directly.

Hi Camille! Thanks!! What I was trying to do was to link to a particular/specific post directly ----- such as for example linking directly to your post ..... CLICK HERE

I had to try remember a format that I had seen from some other forum websites, but can't remember for sure if the format was exactly like this. Maybe the same kind.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by Swimmingorchids

ray plesase stop talking to me.
Ever since I have joined this forum you have been acting like a little kid angry that someone dare post on your sacred forum.

I have 30 years of plant growing experience, am trying to learn about orchids now and am planning to grow vanda's that don't look like they have been starved of nutrients for the last year as your last vanda shot.

I have had enough of idiot know it alls that think their ego is hurt because a new grower dare give out advice on your boys club forum. Well guess what you are not always right, in fact I have seen you chat a fair bit of crap and the only reason you promote the products that you do recommend is because you sell them yourself so stop talking to me.

Just ignore me from now on - help the community and stop trying to argue with eveything I post.

Thank you

I've had to think a bit about how best to respond to this. I'm going to have to step in and defend Ray here (though I don't think he needs my help to do that). He is one of the few people here with deep interest in and knowledge of the science behind many aspects of growing orchids. He is of the type of people who will have a view on something, and modify it as they acquire new and recent knowledge on a particular topic. I'm not saying that people like him are always right, but what they say is worth listening to. As to his products, many people on Orchidboard use them, and the majority have had excellent results with it.

That being said, there is no one way of doing things, I'll agree with you on that. Growing orchids/plants is great in that sense, there is no unique recipe since it depends so much on local growing conditions. And there's a lot of conventional wisdom out there which is mostly based on "because it's always been done that way" and it can be unfortable when it gets booted out the window. And growing plants for 30 years is not the same as growing orchids. I'm a plant scientist with an horticulture background, and when I started growing orchids 13 years ago it challenged a lot of my convictions!

Orchid forums like this one are about sharing information, sometimes conflicting, and we should be respectful of one another. If you would like your opinion to be respected as well, I suggest that you read over your posts before sumbitting them. A number of them come across as having a "this is correct because I say so" attitude or contain rather patronizing remarks (as mentioned above), even if that may not be your intention. Understandably, people can get a bit (or very) defensive. Sometimes changing or removing a few words can make a world of difference to the tone of the message, and how it will be received by others.

As to the the remark on this being a boys club forum... I'm a woman

With this, I'm closing the discussion on this matter. This thread can continue on the original topic, otherwise I'm locking it.

---------- Post added at 02:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:58 PM ----------

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Hi Camille! Thanks!! What I was trying to do was to link to a particular/specific post directly ----- such as for example linking directly to your post ..... CLICK HERE

I had to try remember a format that I had seen from some other forum websites, but can't remember for sure if the format was exactly like this. Maybe the same kind.

So that does work, you can link to a specific section of the page! I think I knew about it long ago, but since it's not one of the standard quoting/linking options, I've long since forgotten about it.

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by camille1585

My boss loves testing all sorts of far-fetched sounding ideas to see if we can increase plant yields, and electro-stimulated plant growth ended up in the pile of highly experimental project ideas (and never went further than that). This is the article I had read about it, but I never went as far as looking for the scientific papers. I have no idea how this could affect orchids, nor if it is achievable in a home environment.
China is making its vegetables grow bigger, faster and stronger ... using electricity, News about Agrochem Industry

Did your boss ever try this out? I read the article and find it fascinating! The yield jump is impressive! Who knows what kind of super orchids could be achieved!!
Am putting the image here from that article, it's actually not so complicated and quite straight forward. The article says the technology is being used here in the US, I wonder who, where and on what?

I used one of those electrical stimulation machines when I had a bone break - ages back - something you could buy online/get a prescription for, quite effective but I can't remember the name of it and gave it away when all was well. It def wasn't a "tens" unit or whatever they call those for pain, it was for bone knitting.

[Ray]

I know. We're playing a game of "I Doubt It" (or as some of we less sophisticated folks called it, "BS").

That setup shows an electrical potential, not a current. It will NOT cause a reduction in fertilizer or pesticide use, will NOT kill bacteria in the soil or the air, and it will NOT accelerate photosynthesis.

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by Ray

I know. We're playing a game of "I Doubt It" (or as some of we less sophisticated folks called it, "BS").

That setup shows an electrical potential, not a current. It will NOT cause a reduction in fertilizer or pesticide use, will NOT kill bacteria in the soil or the air, and it will NOT accelerate photosynthesis.

I'd like to see more articles (with hard data) about what they're doing and also who is utilizing this in the geographic areas mentioned in the article. I find *experiments* interesting in agriculture since I grew up in an agricultural family business. I'm not sure anyone would "fake" the photos in the article. Obviously someone somewhere is investing in this setup; stands to reason there should be some search results if I get after it with the right keywords and digging on the right search engine.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by twinkie

I'd like to see more articles (with hard data) about what they're doing and also who is utilizing this in the geographic areas mentioned in the article. I find *experiments* interesting in agriculture since I grew up in an agricultural family business. I'm not sure anyone would "fake" the photos in the article. Obviously someone somewhere is investing in this setup; stands to reason there should be some search results if I get after it with the right keywords and digging on the right search engine.

I too was curious about the data. I have access to a lot of the scientific literature behind the paywalls, and despite the results being the fruit of 20-30 years of research through the Chinese Academy for agricultural science, there is absolutely nothing. Nothing published in English at least, which I find a bit disconcerting for what appears to be major results.

I did find an interesting study with hydroponically grown tomato where 2 plates were inserted in the water on either side of the container, and a 12v DC current at 10mA ran through it. There qas a clear gradient running from the negative electrode to the positive one. Plants at or near the positive electrode had long roots, with more growing points and branched more. The plants themselves were also larger.

What was interesting to see is in the literature is that electroculture has been studied since the mid 1900s or earlier, on the basis that grass seemed greener under power lines or after a thunderstorm. Despite decades of research, there are very very few conclusive results, which leads me to believe that there's not much benefit. One researcher did note that in order for electroculture to work at all, all other culture parameters must be perfect (nutrition, light, temperature....)

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Ray

I know. We're playing a game of "I Doubt It" (or as some of we less sophisticated folks called it, "BS").

That setup shows an electrical potential, not a current. It will NOT cause a reduction in fertilizer or pesticide use, will NOT kill bacteria in the soil or the air, and it will NOT accelerate photosynthesis.

Ray, I think I'm going to build my orchid electrocution setup, right after I'm done sharpening these razor blades by sticking them under a pyramid (remember that one?)

I'm going to have to agree with you on this one (happens every once in a while ). The diagram alone set off my "baloney" detector, even more so when I read the associated "article" (a.k.a. propaganda piece). This is why I am so skeptical about claims that are allegedly based on "science" but not presented in peer-reviewed scientific media, with supporting data, conditions for testing, etc.