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Electric gardening is all the rage, but does it actually work?

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One horticulture professor says you shouldn't believe the hype.

<p>Philip Gerber/Getty Images</p> <p>” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/kw88ROGWbZ8Dy4iv5PEx5w–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MjY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_real_simple_articles_594/5a66532af819b40bd838217875e28487″/></p> <p>Philip Gerber/Getty Images</p> <p>” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/kw88ROGWbZ8Dy4iv5PEx5w–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MjY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_real_simple_articles_594/5a66532af819b40bd838217875e28487″ class=”caas-img”/></p> <p>Philip Gerber/Getty Images</p> <p>Electrogrowing is the latest gardening craze taking social media by storm, with over 27 million posts tagged with the phrase on TikTok. The method, which is based on the idea that electricity can be used to boost plant growth, isn't new. In fact, it's been around since the 1800s. But it's no surprise that the technology is making waves now: the claims are somewhat science-based, the implementation costs are relatively low, and there's a growing desire to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. Plus, gardening enthusiasts love to experiment and try all things DIY.</p> <p>The claims behind electrogardening sound plausible because of the scientific jargon they use, but they're almost too good to be true, says Linda Chalker Scott, PhD, an associate professor in the Washington State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, who has spent years busting gardening myths. Here's what she had to say about electrogardening and why it doesn't really work:</p> <p>Related: The 11 Biggest Gardening Trends for 2024 So Far</p> <h2>What exactly is electro-horticulture?</h2> <p>Adherents of this horticultural technique claim that by placing twisted copper wire in planting beds, they can harness the power of electricity to stimulate plant growth.</p> <h2>Does electrofarming really work?</h2> <p>There's electricity in the air around us, and copper certainly conducts electricity, but sticking a coil of copper wire into the ground doesn't transfer electricity to the soil, and even if it did, electrogrowing enthusiasts aren't entirely sure what exactly is going on to stimulate plant growth.</p> <p>Adherents point to electrogrowing's long history as evidence of its effectiveness, and it's true that the field has been around since the 18th century. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also conducted extensive research and testing in the field in the early 20th century. But no further research was done because scientists determined there was no solid evidence that electricity measurably improves yields or plant growth.</p> <p>Chalker Scott's search of the scientific literature on electroculture found zero publications on the subject since 1968. While she was able to find some more recent reports on electroculture (such as one from 2021), these were not published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.</p> <p>“If eminent plant science experts published positive results that were confirmed by other plant researchers, the results would be published in real plant science journals and be worthy of discussion,” Chalker Scott wrote on the website The Garden Professors. But Chalker Scott doesn't think any serious plant scientists would undertake this, and points out that “if there were any signs that this would work, 'big agriculture' would throw money at it.”</p> <h3>Evidence for electroculture</h3> <p>Some advocates point to a study published in the journal Nature Food, which used a device called a triboelectric nanogenerator to create an electric field over pea crops. The device increased germination and yield, a promising result that merits further study, but triboelectric nanogenerators are a far cry from the simple copper coils sold for electrogrowing.</p> <p>Another study cited as “evidence” of the effectiveness of electrogrowing looked at the effects of simulated lightning strikes on shiitake mushroom seedlings, and while it did indeed stimulate mushroom growth, again this had nothing to do with plant growth or the electrogrowing antennas being sold online.</p> <p>Our conclusion: don't waste your money on electric gardening equipment. If someone offered you a magic wand that you could stick in soil and have plants grow, you probably wouldn't consider buying it. </p> <p>Related: What is Banana Water and Is It Good for Plants?</p> <p>For more Real Simple news, sign up for our newsletter.</p> <p>Read the original article on Real Simple.</p> <p><script async src=

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