Introducing Electric Current on orchids

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by camille1585

2 plates were inserted in the water on either side of the container, and a 12v DC current at 10mA ran through it.

Hard to say what was going on there. They probably need to analyse it more deeply if the results are easily repeatable. Eg..... electrolysis going on in the water? Two metal plates..... same material, or different material .... what ions and chemicals etc are in the water etc. And any reactions occurring on the plates when the current is flowing. If 10 mA is flowing through the water from 1 electrode to the other one.... then the water is definitely conductive ----- containing fertiliser/salts?

[twinkie]

Originally Posted by camille1585

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....)

That IS interesting about the 12v dc. Do you have a link to that perhaps? I've always been fascinated by this kind of tinkering, even from the simplest airy fairy of "Findhorn garden" tales to experiments playing certain types of music around plants. At one point people thought hydroponics was "crazy", but the proof is always in the pudding as they say. Then there's Royal Rife and all that. I have an open mind, I like researching and learning more about what "new modalities" might work applied to/in out of the box ways. We got man to land on the moon, sure as heck don't see why us little orchid lovers couldn't also find some new tricks to up our plants health and blooms!

---------- Post added at 07:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:53 PM ----------

Originally Posted by SouthPark

Hard to say what was going on there. They probably need to analyse it more deeply if the results are easily repeatable. Eg..... electrolysis going on in the water? Two metal plates..... same material, or different material .... what ions and chemicals etc are in the water etc. And any reactions occurring on the plates when the current is flowing. If 10 mA is flowing through the water from 1 electrode to the other one.... then the water is definitely conductive ----- containing fertiliser/salts?

A "juiced" super brew?

[SouthPark]

Originally Posted by twinkie

A "juiced" super brew?

Maybe ....... eg. in order for electrical conduction to occur...the solution must support the flow of electricity. So maybe the plants were just benefiting from whatever is in the solution ... magnesium and other stuff?

After the mechanisms behind the 'improved growth' observation are determined ..... the second step, which can be the make-or-break step is ....... whether the operations can be upscaled to work with lots of plants. Often, getting something to work for 1 or 2 plants can be a different story for lots of plants at the same time. The practical/safety/economic/workability/maintenance/reliability aspects.

[Roberta]

The thought occurred to me in the situation where there two plates with a 12v potential between them, and a modest current... any chance there might be a little electrolysis going on, which might be producing a bit of free oxygen? Would be pretty hard to scale up, and would only work in an aqueous solution so don't see its applicability to orchids. (Hydroponically-grown cannabis maybe )

[Ray]

A nutrient solution contains a bunch of ions. The positive ions - the parts containing the nutrient element, for the most part - would be attracted to the emitting electrode, possibly concentrating them in its vicinity, making more available for plant growth.

So, the current did not "enhance" growth, it merely "stacked the deck" for some while stealing nutrients from others. You can do the same without electricity!

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Ray

A nutrient solution contains a bunch of ions. The positive ions - the parts containing the nutrient element, for the most part - would be attracted to the emitting electrode, possibly concentrating them in its vicinity, making more available for plant growth.

So, the current did not "enhance" growth, it merely "stacked the deck" for some while stealing nutrients from others. You can do the same without electricity!

Ray, I'm thinking you may may send one nutrient in the direction of the cathode, the other toward the anode. So, if calcium nitrate was part of the fertilizer, the calcium cation would go one direction, the nitrate anion in the other direction. Same concept with magnesium sulfate. Both the cations and anions with either example are nutrients.

Either way, you could end up with too much of a given nutrient at one electrode, not enough at the other. I agree that the electrodes could potentially just cause a lot of nutrient imbalances, assuming all the plants in a large container of plants have their roots in the same bath.

Not particularly practical for orchids.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Ray, I'm thinking you may may send one nutrient in the direction of the cathode, the other toward the anode. So, if calcium nitrate was part of the fertilizer, the calcium cation would go one direction, the nitrate anion in the other direction. Same concept with magnesium sulfate. Both the cations and anions with either example are nutrients.

Either way, you could end up with too much of a given nutrient at one electrode, not enough at the other. I agree that the electrodes could potentially just cause a lot of nutrient imbalances, assuming all the plants in a large container of plants have their roots in the same bath.

Not particularly practical for orchids.

True on all counts.

[Cyanea]

[/QUOTE]

Either way, you could end up with too much of a given nutrient at one electrode, not enough at the other. I agree that the electrodes could potentially just cause a lot of nutrient imbalances, assuming all the plants in a large container of plants have their roots in the same bath.

Not particularly practical for orchids.[/QUOTE]

Does that mean this method will not improve orchid growth but will cause nutrient deficiency over time?

How about AC instead of DC? What will happen if a mild AC goes through an orchid?

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Cyanea

Does that mean this method will not improve orchid growth but will cause nutrient deficiency over time?

How about AC instead of DC? What will happen if a mild AC goes through an orchid?

Personally, I think electricity will not add anything. It is not a natural parameter in plant growth.