Electric Current through the soil?

[ganjababy]

I have seen a few things about using a light electric current thru the soil to promote faster growth. Has anyone tried or heard about this method? If so how is it done (I know some kind of electrodes are put in the soil but that's about it). I am starting new seedlings and would like to try this on a couple of them.

[GSR]

Ive never heard of that one. I do know of soil warmers though.

[ice#1]

i rember seeing somewhere where some one was talking about it he proposed that plants grown useing that method didn't need lights weather it worked or not i cant rember he had a sound therory but no exsperiance in trying it if i rember right

[midgradeindasouth]

very interesting.

Electric plants.

I am sure the level of electricity would have to be very minimal otherwise the plants would fry.

[ganjababy]

Yeah it would be a very low current. In the post I saw the guy wrapped copper wire around 2 pens and removed the pens he then connected it to a phone charger I believe. He then inserted the wires at opposite ends of the pot. He just started his grow so I dom't know the results. The guy was going on the idea that plants grow faster during a thunderstorm because of the electrical charge in the air. I have no idea how he got the idea but it seems feasible.

yea i have heard of useing electro stimulation to the roots..i even got a link somehwere for a scientist who tested it on a bucnh of shit...i'll look for the link tomarro..peace

Dubious. Waiting.... hmmm...

[ISO2BWELL]

Originally Posted by ice#1

i rember seeing somewhere where some one was talking about it he proposed that plants grown useing that method didn't need lights weather it worked or not i cant rember he had a sound therory but no exsperiance in trying it if i rember right

I would be interested in his theory. I'm no rocket scientist, but don't plants grow by photosysthesizing the light's (Sun's, etc.) energy into plant energy? Feeding a DC electric current to the roots would not change that...unless there's some new rules of physics at work.

I do know that a DC current in soil causes chemical reactions between metals and minerals in that soil...and this is going to in turn affect the nutrient balance that the plant is feeding off of to some degree (what level I don't know). I'm not sure what it would stimulate making the plant grow...

Anyone got ideas?

ISO

[Pappy]

During a thunderstorm, the positive ions change to negative. I have used a negative ion generator. Honestly, I haven't seen any difference. It does help with the smell, though.

[green_nobody]

yeah, they help a little with the smell - had one as well in my last grow, a little one sucking only 18W - but there been no changes besides the smell reduction.

never the less, why not try... if i get to it i will test it on 2 clones - that then will be not empiric data but better then no info on this issue.

[greensatan]

bump

[the.fatman.cometh]

if it aint broke....dont fix it

[4maggio]

Originally Posted by the.fatman.cometh

if it aint broke....dont fix it

If one doesn't fix 'it' before it breaks; when 'it' breaks, one has nothing.

New technology fatman.. It's gotta b! LOL!!!!

[Richard Owl Mirror]

PHOTOVOLTAIC ROOT STIMULATION

Electrical stimulation of roots to stimulate plant growth and enhance photosynthesis in the garden.

Everybody knows that there's nothing better than sunlight for promoting plant growth. Or is there? Well, there may not be anything that can actually replace ol' Sol . . . but could there be a better way to use sunlight to help plants grow?

If recent scientific studies on the electrical stimulation of roots bear out in the real world, the answer is . . . yes! These controlled laboratory experiments have produced heartier plants and bigger harvests. Sound exciting? Then let's dig into the details of this potential breakthrough.
Naturally, electrical root stimulation requires a source of power. And what better source of free electricity could you ask for than a photovoltaic solar cell?

As in the photosynthetic process, a solar cell absorbs a photon of light and converts it into energy . . . electrical, in this case. Unlike photosynthesis, though, a solar cell does a much more efficient job of converting light into energy. A typical PV cell, such as the kind you can find in a Radio Shack store, converts at least 10% of the light it receives into electricity. Photosynthesis, on the other hand, is hard pressed to turn 0.1 % of the available light into energy

THE subject of Electro-culture has now reached a stage at
which it is of real interest to the man-in- the-street. This
little book is intended to serve a double purpose : to in-
terest the general reader, and at the same time to give the
farmer, the market-gardener, and the amateur horticulturist, a
clear idea of what has been and is being done in the application
of Electricity to growing plants.
Full text of "Growing crops & plants by electricity. Explaining what has been done on a practical scale"

Agriculture: Electroculture, Biodynamic agriculture, Joel Sternheimer Plant Protein Music

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Quite an interesting topic.

[Richard Owl Mirror]

ULTRASONIC PLANT STIMULATION

In an effort to keep you informed about the latest developments in the scientific and electronic worlds, I regularly devote time to reporting current (as well as, occasionally, forgotten) technology. Two issues ago—in MOTHER NO. 85-I discussed some experiments in which photovoltaic cells were used to stimulate the roots of plants, resulting in a significant increase in their rate of growth.

And, as it happens, I recently found yet another intriguing report... one which claims that a plant's growth can be speeded up by subjecting the greenery to ultrasound. "Now this," I thought, "is a new twist."

ULTRASONIC PLANT STIMULATION

Judging by your overwhelming response to the article on photovoltaic root stimulation, I'm sure that many of you will be anxious to give this new technique a try. Once again, though, let's start by discussing the principles behind this exciting development.

Sound is vibration that travels through air. Without those molecules of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc., there would be no sound: A telephone ringing in outer space would go unanswered even if an astronaut happened to be floating by, because no one could hear it. Sound vibrations come in a wide range of frequencies. The audio range—which extends up to about 20,000 vibrations per second (cycles per second or CPS)—includes those frequencies that people can hear. Of course, some individuals do hear better than others. Women, in particular, can usually detect noises that are of too high a frequency for men to hear. And most animals exhibit hearing capabilities superior to those of humans. Many insects, for example, can produce and hear frequencies that are beyond our limitations.

When the frequency of a sound extends beyond our normal hearing limit, we have ultrasound. Fig. 1 illustrates the sound frequency range from 0 to 50,000 CPS and shows the hearing capabilities of humans and several animals.
ACCELERATED PLANT GROWTH

The possibility that plants might respond to sound waves was explored to some extent more than a century ago. Charles Darwin, the famous evolutionary theorist, was convinced that sound could benefit plant growth. He even attempted—without success—to stimulate plant growth with notes from the bassoon and other musical instruments. Similar tests were performed by the eminent German plant physiologist Wilhelm Pfeffer, with the same negative results.

Early experiments were largely confined to using frequencies in the audio range, and most of those tests were done with frequencies so low that they could actually be felt by humans. It wasn't until the development of electronic oscillators that scientists were able to experiment with ultrasonic plant growth acceleration. The better-equipped researchers discovered that the effect only becomes noticeable at frequencies higher than 20,000 CPS and that the benefit continues to increase up to about 50,000 CPS.

ACTUAL RESULTS

The report I ran across discussed the effects of bathing radishes in ultrasound. One flat of seeds was placed in an environmentally controlled chamber with 50,000 CPS ultrasound piped in at an output of about one watt; the second group (called a control) was set in an identical chamber but did not receive exposure to ultrasound. Artificial lighting was switched on in both chambers for 12 hours each day (during which time the experimental flat received ultrasound). Both groups were watered and cared for equally.

After about seven days, the seeds in both trays began to sprout. One week is just about the normal germination period for radishes, so up to that point in the experiment, ultrasound didn't seem to offer any benefit.

It soon became apparent, though, that the seedlings receiving ultrasound treatment were growing much more rapidly than their control counterparts. In fact, by the fourteenth day the experimental plants were half again as tall as the ones in the "quiet" chamber.

The experiment continued for 28 days, the same period of time used in the photovoltaic root stimulation tests. By the end of the test, the plants treated with ultrasonic vibrations had grown an average of 87% taller than their control cousins. (The actual growth rates are shown in graphic form in Fig. 2.) Repetitions of the experiment were run to confirm the initial results, and some of the later tests showed growth rate increases of as much as 150%!

It isn't exactly clear why ultrasound stimulates plant growth. Evidence seems to support the theory that the sound acts as a catalyst, activating the production of plant hormones called auxins. As was the case with photovoltaic root stimulation, however, concrete explanations will have to wait for further research.

LET'S GIVE IT A TRY

Since seeing is believing, you'll probably want to stage your own experiment. This test will be a little more involved than the one we used for photovoltaic stimulation, but it's still not difficult to perform.

Your first (and main) problem will be obtaining an ultrasonic generator of suitable quality. Commercial generators are too expensive for most of us to buy simply to satisfy our curiosity, but you might be able to use one owned by a high school or college. Also, most TV repair shops keep an ultrasound generator on hand, even though they rarely need it. (If you try to strike a deal to borrow or rent a generator from one of these sources, be sure that the unit has an output of at least one-half watt.)

And there's yet another possible source of high-frequency sound. Have you seen advertisements for rodent-repelling machines? Such devices are simply frequency generators that supposedly scare away the varmints by flooding a room with high-intensity ultrasound. These devices could be just the ticket . . . except that they, too, are pretty pricey. Better ones cost up to $100, and the $20 models probably won't work for our purposes. If you already own a good-quality "rat ridder", though, it will serve well for your experiment.

If none of the above possibilities bear fruit, you can build your own ultrasonic generator. It's not a difficult electronics project, and the device can be assembled for under $20 from parts available at a local Radio Shack store. The schematic (Fig. 3) shows the layout; the only other thing you'll need is a 12-volt power supply. Either a battery eliminator or a car battery will work.

There's some evidence that higher frequencies stimulate greater growth, so you might experiment with your homemade generator by changing the value of the capacitor listed as C1. If you substitute a capacitor smaller than the one shown, the frequency will increase. Also, don't be tempted to use a conventional speaker instead of the tweeter called for in the design. Normal speakers aren't capable of reproducing the high frequencies that we're looking for.

For your experiment to have any validity, the two groups of plants you use will have to be well separated from each other. The ultrasonic generator will fill an entire room with the high-pitched squeal, but walls and doors will block quite a bit of the noise. Still, distance provides the best assurance that your control group isn't benefiting from the ultrasonic stimulation.

During the course of your experiment, you might find it interesting to change the timing cycle from that used in the original research. Unlike photovoltaic stimulation, ultrasound also benefits plants that are in bright sunlight. Tests have even shown that, with ultrasonic treatment, plants will grow in the dark!

ANOTHER CATCH

As your experiment progresses, you'll discover that ultrasonically stimulated plants show some side effects. Though treated plants do grow taller, they seem to do so at the expense of fullness of foliage. The control plants will be robust but short, while the experimental group will be tall, spindly, and darkly pigmented. Apparently, the stimulated plants aren't able to absorb nutrients fast enough to keep up with their accelerated growth rate.

Once the sound is removed, however, the plants will produce normal foliage. And if your results are similar to the ones I've investigated, the experimental plants will remain larger than their normal counterparts.

What is the answer to conquering this apparent problem of plant starvation? I don't know . . . but maybe some clever research by one of MOTHER's readers will turn up some clues.
I wonder what would happen if you combined photovoltaic root stimulation with ultrasound.

http://www.electronicpestrepeller.com/Pest_products.htm

http://www.victorpest.com/store/rodent-control/m792

http://www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2...t-control.aspx

[4maggio]

You're brining alot to the table all at once ROM!

Great stuff though... where do you get all this stuff??!!!

You'll have me fryin those hoes. LOL!!!

[Patrong]

Wonder if anyone could combine PV,US, and DWC technology with LED and UV technology to produce a super plant?

[Richard Owl Mirror]

Originally Posted by 4maggio

You're brining alot to the table all at once ROM!

Great stuff though... where do you get all this stuff??!!!

You'll have me fryin those hoes. LOL!!!

LOL !!! I just search & research using WebFerret - Fast and powerful Web search software for Windows.
Way better than Google ;>}

I must admit, the two simple products I was able to present sure do seem worth giving a try. Can't hurt, except the wallet if they don't have any beneficial effect.

[medi-useA]

I've also read th@ antenna's can be used to transmit a current into soil/medium...
Was kinda thinking about throwing the ends of a twin telescoping tv antenna into my res for my next grow and see wh@happens

If someone does this to a plant in a pot outdoors, let us know if it has any effect...I've git the feeling this might only work if the antenna is outside...

Hmmm...I wonder if I run the antenna cable from the giant 6mtr antiquated antenna on the roof to the cabinet-res....

...I need to install a new antenna to get this new digital tv clearly anyway...the old antenna was just gonna be left there...Hmmm...

something to ponder.

muA

[ileso]

our planet is naturally electrified. the crust, the air, the atmosphere, our bodies... the works.

telluric energy (?) or something i cant remember. free energy? its all around us. of course its a very low frequency.

in fact tesla discovered a way to use it... heres a caption of the story:

“See the excitement coming!”


These were the words that Tesla used at the end of his pivotal 1892 December lecture, “The Dissipation of Electricity”. He was brimming over with buoyancy and optimism for the future In the 1890's, Tesla conducted a large number of experiments which confirmed his theory and refined his understanding of the special conditions required for Radiant energy to express itself. He later expanded his New York work with the large scale experimental trials conducted at Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1899.
Tesla, the humanitarian, wanted more than anything to share this enormous discovery with his fellow man. Tesla spoke of practical applications of radiant energy that were so wide reaching that they could have created a profound and immense leap into the future for all of mankind in practically every sector of daily life:


Unlimited electricity could be made available anywhere and at any time, by merely pushing a rod into the ground and turning on the electrical appliance. Homes, farms, offices, factories, villages, libraries, museums, street lights, etc., could have all their lighting needs met by merely hanging ordinary light bulbs or fluorescent tubes anywhere desired- without the need for wiring -and produce brilliant white light 24 hours a day. Motor energy for any imagined use such as industrial applications, transportation, tractors, trucks, trains, boats, automobiles, air ships or planes could be powered freely-anywhere on the planet from a single Magnifying Transmitter. This new form of energy even had the ability to elevate human consciousness to levels of vastly improved comprehension and mental clarity. Undreamed of therapeutic applications to improve human health and to eliminate disease conditions could have been achieved fully 100 years ago had Tesla been allowed to complete his commercial development of Radiant Energy. But powerful barons of industry, chiefly in the person of John Pierpont Morgan, colluded to deny him the financial backing he needed and in doing so, effectively denied mankind one of Nature’s most abundant and inexhaustible gifts of free energy.

http://educate-yourself.org/fe/radiantenergystory.shtml