Placing copper coins in the soil to make your plants grow is a popular old wives’ tale, but experts caution that it could do more harm to your flowers than good
There are many unconventional gardening tips floating around, like using vodka to help your plants grow. The only problem is that while some of them work, there are others that do more harm than good.
An expert has just issued a warning for those using 2p coins to help their flowers grow that they may actually risk destroying them. It sounds wacky, but placing copper coins around your plants to help them grow has long been a popular old wives’ tale. It has since had a resurgence on TikTok, where it’s been labelled a handy gardening trick. The idea is that since copper contains enzymes used by plants for photosynthesis, respiration and other key processes, proximity to it will encourage your plants to become healthier and stronger.
Another major plus is that it’s also a natural fungicide, meaning it will prevent the infestation of nasty mould, black spots and other bacteria on your leaves, thus lengthening your plant’s longevity.
However, according to the flower experts at Eflorist , this hack may not work as well as you think. In order to test their effectiveness, the team used two bouquets, with one containing just water and the other containing a copper coin planted into its soil. In order to make the experiment fair, the plants were left for a week without any extra flower care or maintenance being performed. The results were then judged by comparing photos of each bouquet from day one to day seven.
After conducting the copper coin test, the team discovered that the copper had the opposite effect of what was intended. They saw that not only was there no improvement in the copper-containing vase, it had actually caused the flowers to deteriorate. By the seventh day many of the flower heads had actually started to appear droopy and lacklustre. This was in comparison to the flowers that had been left in plain water, which were still upright and healthy.
Eflorist said: “While this hack might have been useful at one point in time, the results of the experiment showed that this did not have any significant benefits to the growth of the flowers, and resulted in many flowers dropping prematurely.” Given that 2p coins contain such a small amount amount of copper, it is unlikely that they would have a significant effect on the soil quality. Especially if you are hoping to see improvements over a shorter period of time.
Instead of resorting to this unconventional hack, Eflorist have recommended taking care of flowers by placing them in a vase that has been washed thoroughly with dish soap and warm water. You should then cut two to three cm from each stem, and remove any leaves that fall below the water line. To refresh your flowers, you can re-cut the stems every two to three days, before placing them back in a clean vase of fresh water. Another tip to prolong their longevity is to keep them away from fruits, draughts, direct sunlight, heat sources such as radiators, as these can severely damage your plant’s health.
