In today’s article, we will quickly debunk 20 interesting and unbelievable gardening myths and reveal some extremely useful scientific facts and tips related to Gardening.
- Fresh Cow Dung or Horse Dung is very Good for Plants?
This is absolutely false! Fresh Cow poop should never be applied for your plants, because it not only stinks but contains high levels of ammonia and salts which can burn your plants. It also contains harmful microorganisms like e-coli which are harmful to plants as well as humans. Plus, it also contains weed seeds which can produce a lot of weeds or unwanted plants in your garden. So always use decomposed cow-dung or horse dung for your plants. You can watch a detailed video on 5 hacks to quickly decompose cow dung from a link in description below or from end-screen link at the end of this video. Let’s move on..
- Is it Dangerous to Expose Roots to Light?
Well, This can be a very nice high school project for kids, to grow two similar plants, one in a transparent container and one in an opaque container and then compare these two. As you can see nothing happens to the plant grown in transparent containers. The actual concern is, root exposure to AIR and even the heat from sunlight that can cause drying and can damage your plant. But still you are advised to keep the roots in the dark. This is because of algae growth due to light and your roots are not getting enough oxygen because the algae is stealing the oxygen and nutrients for itself. So light as such does not hurt the roots, but air, heat and algae hurt the roots and kill the plant.
- Do Plants feel Pain?
There are many studies and researches conducted on this topic. Basically, Plants lack a nervous system – that is a brain and other neurological structures like nerves and pain receptors, so they should not feel pain, unlike in humans and animals where we have specialised pain receptors.
But according to some researches, “Plant can know of themselves being eaten” because studies have shown that plants release defence chemicals in response to caterpillars munching on them.
Other points include: Plants fight for territory, seek out food, evade predators and interestingly trap prey like what your see in carnivorous plants like the venus fly trap. They are as alive like any animal, and – like animals – they exhibit behaviour.
- Talking to You Plants will help them Grow?
People who really love plants and gardening will often tell you that talking to plants or even music has a beneficial impact on their overall health and growth. Despite many different scientific studies on this theory, there’s still no conclusive evidence that talking to plants helps them grow. One theory says that since plants take up carbon dioxide, and hence talking to plants releases carbon dioxide when we exhale. So, that explains it all.
- Plants can Die of Old age or aging. The oldest known tree in the world is the Great Basin bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of California which is over 5000 years old. Actually Trees grow indeterminately, meaning that with the right conditions, they can grow and grow and grow. But the only problem that limits them from reaching up to the sky is the food and water transport through xylem and phloem to the growing end from the roots. The taller the tree the more difficult it is to transport water from roots to the foliage near the top. But here what happens is instead of growing taller they increase in width and also branch out more, as you might have noticed some old trees with huge girth of their stems.
- Animal or Human Urine can be used as a Fertilizer. Yes, this is a Fact!For example, cow urine contains loads of NPK – that’s nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are the most essential plant nutrients for agricultural use. But it has to be applied in dilution of at least 1:20 in water.
- Is it Dangerous to go near Trees during Night Time? Well, In day time under the presence of sunlight – that’s photosynthesis, plants take up Carbon dioxide and release Oxygen. But during night they take in Oxygen and release CO2 and hence the air near trees will have lesser concentration of Oxygen and higher concentration of CO2. But, this impact will be negligible for small plants and at home gardens and only be noticeable near very large trees or in thick vegetation.
- Naphthalene balls or Moth Balls contain Naphthalene Acetic Acid and can be used as a rooting agent. It’s a Myth. NAA – Naphthalene Acetic Acid and IBA – Indole Butyric Acid are plant auxins or hormones which are entirely different compounds and used for rooting your plant cuttings. These two are entirely different from moth balls which are used to keep insects at bay.
- Watering plants on a hot sunny day will magnify the sunlight through the droplets acting as convex lenses and burn the leaves badly! No doubt, watering plants early in the morning or late in the evening is great! Because less water will evaporate during this time. But This theory that water droplets on leaves can act like mini magnifying lenses, focusing the sun’s rays and causing leaf burn has been completely disproved by physicists.
- Planting by the Moon affects plant growth and yield?
The idea that the Moon affects plant growth is an old one that is believed by many people. This is a myth! No study has proven the effect of moon on plant growth. And the only plants that use moon light for photosynthesis are certain types of phytoplanktons which are not normally found in gardens. - Crushed egg shells are a good source of Calcium to treat calcium deficiency? This is False! Even Powdered Egg shells take a long time to decompose and release that calcium into the soil and make them available for uptake by plants. You can make a water soluble calcium using egg shells by mixing it with distilled Vinegar to make this happen. You can find this detailed video from a link in description or from a link at top right corner of this screen.
- Saplings or seedlings need to be supported to protect them? True or False?
This is False! Many people recommend you to provide support to these young slender plants due to the risk of wind blowing them and things like that. Unless it’s a strong wind, tying a sapling or young plant to a support stick or any kind of support will actually do more harm than good. Research has shown that trees without support, over a period of time will develop thicker trunks, more supportive roots and more resistance to breakages.
- Do Magnets affect Plant growth?
This is a fact. Magnetism affects plant growth and seed germination positively. Studies have shown that when plants are exposed to a magnetic field with south pole facing towards the roots, Seeds germinate faster and plant grow faster and stronger in the presence of magnetic field in the soil. You can check a detailed video on this experiment from a link in description or from a link at top right corner of this video. - Can Harvested or Collected seeds be stored in a Refrigerator or Freezer?
This is not correct! Most seeds that are stored in a seed banks are first dried up so that the moisture content is reduced to about 10 percent and then these can be stored for several years. But if you freeze freshly collected seeds, the moisture content in these seeds will form ice crystals within and can destroy the seed viability. - Growing Fruit Trees in Containers is not possible due to limited space?
This is not true. You can grow them but you need little larger containers or fabric bags like more than 18 or 24 inch. You can watch a detailed episode on the top ten terrace gardening myths and facts from a link in description.
- Does Potting Mix Cause Legionnaires’ Pneumonia in Gardeners? True or False?
Do not worry! This is not True. Legionnaires’ Pneumonia is a severe form of pneumonia or lung infection mostly cause by inhaling the bacteria. Though these legionella bacteria survive in outdoor soil, it rarely causes infections. But still, prevention is better than cure. Better wear a mask while handling potting mix, specially people with weaker immune systems.
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- How do I know my plant is still alive and how to save a dying plant?
There are many signs to know whether your plant can still survive. If your plant is looking dry and has shed its leaves, most of us think its dead. But actually, it may be alive or can be revived. Please watch my detailed episode on this topic demonstrating how to save a dying plant. I have linked that video in description below.
- Can we grow plants from leaves?
Yes! Some, but not all plants can be propagated from just a leaf or a section of a leaf. Leaf cuttings of most plants will not generate a new plant; they usually produce only a few roots or just decay. There are many ways you can grow leaves into a new plant, like 1. from a leaf petiole, 2. by dividing a leaf into multiple pieces for example fleshy succulent plants like sanseviera or the snake plant and other succulents. Other methods of propagation like cane or stub cuttings, root cuttings, leaf bud cuttings and so on.
- Gardening on Terrace is Bad for the Building. This is not completely true unless your building is too old with a poor construction. Otherwise if wisely planned, a garden on terrace will not be a problem, like placing the heavy containers along the walls on your terrace which are weight bearing or main walls of the building and things like that.
Water proofing the terrace is not always necessarily, unless you plan to build raised bed terrace garden. If you grow in container, you only need to check whether the water draining out of the pots is easily flowing out of the terrace and not stagnant.
- Does Electric Current affect Plant Growth? Well, there is a separate science called electro-culture farming which utilizes this effect. I have conducted a simple experiment on this topic to study the effect of electric current on plant growth. You can watch that episode from an end-screen link or from garden tips channel.
Any gardener or farmer desires for faster, better and bigger plants with higher yields. The information gained from this experiment, may be used to help gardeners achieve a great success in gardening and farming. In our previous episode we investigated the effect of electricity on plant growth and seed germination.
In this experiment we will investigate the effect
of magnetism on seed germination and plant growth and evaluate the results on
Day 4, Day 6, Day 8 and so on. Even this
experiment can be a very good school project for kids.
Now, Lets start with hypothesis which states:
“Seeds germinate faster and plant grow faster and stronger in the presence of magnetic field in the soil.”
MATERIALS & METHODS
– 3 plastic Containers
– Strong Magnets
– Identical Potting Mix for all 3 containers
– 3 Identical Seeds
– A Ruler or a Measuring Tape.
The constants in this study are:
- The Potting Mix
- The Water plant receives
- The Location / Light the Plant receives
- The Seeds.
PROCEDURE
- Label the 3 Containers as A, B, and C. Pot C will be the Control for the experiment.
- Fill the 3 containers with the identical potting mix.
- In pot A place a permanent magnet in the center with the magnetic field is narrow and stronger.
- In Pot B, insert multiple bar magnets around the container preferably with the same polarity facing the plant, so as to create uniform magnetic field. You can determine the Polarity of the Magnets using a Compass needle if you have one.
- Plant 3 identical seeds into all three containers. Pot A will receive the strongest magnetic field.
- Water all the 3 containers with the same amount of water.
- Place the 3 containers at the same location – like on a window sil.
RESULTS
On Day 4. You can clearly see the Seed in Container A which received the highest magnetic field has germinated and there are no signs of sprouting in B and C.
On Day 5. The Seed in Pot B with a weaker magnetic field also has germinated. No result yet in pot C. Pot A there is further growth and a nice little shoot has begun.
On Day 6. Germination has begun in the Control Pot too without any magnetic field. The Pots A and B show more growth.
On Day 8. This hypothesis is getting proved. Plant in Pot A is the tallest, Next come Pot B and lastly Pot C.
Conclusion: The results of the experiment clearly prove that magnetic field has a strong effect on the rate of seed germination and plant growth. You can see the roots are stronger and much widespread in A and B.
Now, The question here is how do magnets affect plant growth?
This experiment can be a very good school project for kids to develop their interest in gardening.
This experiment is based on two observations:
- Plants appearing healthier after a thunderstorm possibly due to the effect of lightning and electricity.
- Plants growing near an electric power cable generally look greener and healthier.
Let’s conduct this experiment starting with our:
Hypothesis: Seeds germinate faster and Plants grow faster and healthier when electrocuted with a low voltage DC current.
I came across a lot of research articles online on electroculture studies. According to electrocuture technique, Plants are sensitive to electricity and magnetism. Improved plant growth and increased yields are some of the positive effects of electroculture. This technology can even be used to protect plants from pests and diseases.
The mechanism of action? Well, I could not fine convincing answers. May be due to the copper electrodes causing electrolysis or electrophoresis and releasing copper and other salt ions within the soil, or the electromagnetic field from the electric current causing movement of different ions into the roots.
Now let’s jump into the experiment:
Materials and Methods:
The materials required for this gardening
project are:
– 3 plastic Containers
– Identical Plant seeds for All 3 containers
– Identical Potting Mix for All 3 Containers
– A DC 9V Battery, A DC 3V Battery
– Copper rods or Copper Wires as Electrodes
– A Ruler or a Measuring Tape.
Step1: Label the 3 Containers: Pot A and B are for experiment and Pot C will be the Control for the experiment with no current applied on it.
Step 2: Identical Factors or Constants for the experiment: Fill All the 3 containers with the same potting mix or soil. Plant the same seeds into all three containers. Keep all the 3 containers in exactly the same location to receive the same amount of light and Water them with exactly the same amount and at the same time.
Step 3: Prepare The Circuit: For Pot A we will electrocute with 3 Volt battery and For Pot B, we will use 9V Battery. We will use this copper wire to make our electrodes which will be inserted into the soil.
Step 4: Sowing the identical seeds into all 3 containers at the same time. You can use any plant seed for the experiment. Sow exactly the same amount of seeds into each container and water them with exactly the same amount of water daily. Keep all 3 pots on the same location like on a window sill.
Step 5: Applying Electric Current to Pots A and B: Two copper rods are inserted into the soil at opposite sides of the pot and should not touch each other. The 3V battery will be connected to Pot A and 9V Battery to Pot B. The circuit is switched on for these pots for 15 minutes daily and the plant growth in all 3 containers will be measured on Day 4 for Seed Germination, Day 7 and then Day 12, 15 and so on.
Now! Let’s look into the Results: Watch Video below:
On Day 4, As you can see, both seeds are about to germinate in Pot C first which infact received no voltage. In Pot A one seed has germinated and in Pot B there is still no definitive signs of germination. You can see in Pot B, perhaps due to high voltage the earthworm is struggling to survive and this indicates high currents are harmful for beneficial soil organisms.
On Day 7, You can notice that the height of the plants in pot A is still lesser when compared with the Control Pot C. And Pot B which received 9V is just starting to germinate now. So till Day 7 this theory on electroculture is getting disproved. I am not sure what went wrong with this experiment and this needs further investigation.
Will later post an update on this on Day 15. We can even Try to repeat this experiment using different DC voltages like 1.5V, 6V or even DC12V. The experiment can also be done by changing length of exposure time to the DC current and comparing plant growth.
In our next episode, we will conduct a similar experiment to study the effect of magnetism on plant growth and seed germination.