Evidence level: Historical grower observation, not a controlled study. This is one of Electric Fertilizer’s earliest published trials, originally posted October 2013. It’s preserved here with its original limitations stated plainly, not upgraded into a stronger claim than it was.
What was done
A single small solar cell (approximately 1.2V DC) was connected to one cell of a multi-cell seed tray, growing lettuce alongside unelectrified cells in the same tray, using the same Fox Farm and Black Gold potting soil mix.
What was observed
The electrified cell showed a visibly faster germination rate than the other cells in the tray. Sixteen days later, the same cell also showed visibly better growth — taller, fuller plants than its neighbors.
Limitations
- A single electrified cell, no replication. This is one comparison, not repeated trials.
- Photographic, not measured. The comparison is visual (before/after photos taken at day 0 and day 16), not counted seedlings or measured growth.
- No isolation of other variables. Position in the tray, light exposure, and moisture could plausibly differ between cells for reasons unrelated to the solar cell.
This is exactly the kind of early, informal observation that led to more structured experiments later — see Experiments for current trials with controls, and Research for the evidence-graded findings library.