Do Radishes Like Whiskey?

Colleen Ebert

Statistical Analysis of Ecological Systems

17 December 2021
 Throughout the years there has been a shift in the way that humans acquire their food. In

historical times it was common to have a communal garden where families harvested crops for

sustenance. In modern times there is a massive agricultural industry that supplies the majority of

Northern America with its plant-based nutrition (Kassel). Modern agriculture utilizes a wide

array of different fertilizers and additives to promote the growth of crops. Some of the fertilizers

are naturally derived and others are chemically manufactured to aid in the growing process.

Studies have shown that synthetically manufactured fertilizers can contain extremely high levels

of nitrogen and phosphorus. These are used as an additive in fertilizers because they help to

boost plant growth and size (Liu et. al).

Not only are these additives used in large scale agricultural fertilizers they are also found

in fertilizers for house plants. A popular choice, Miracle Gro water soluble plant food, has the

first two ingredients listed as nitrogen and phosphorus which contribute 24 and eight percent

respectively (Miracle Gro). While nitrogen and phosphorus have been proven to beneficially

effect plant growth it does not mean that they are needed as an additive in soil to make a plant

grow to maturation. An individual who wants to prevent houseplants or indoor potted vegetables

from dying may not need to rely on plant food sold by their local garden store. This experiment

explores some possible alternatives to manufactured fertilizer in an effort to discover a more

convenient way to provide plants with extra nutrients that are beneficial to growth. I

hypothesized that potted plants would grow productively when using liquids other than liquid

fertilizer as an additive.

I was curious to see whether a plant could reach full maturation when provided with

liquids that someone may already have at their house instead of liquid fertilizer. A few common

things found in my own home are whiskey, vodka, apple juice, and water. I chose these as the
four treatments for this experiment because they contain different attributes from one another.

Bourbon whiskey contains trace amounts of phosphorus as well as potassium and vitamin B6

(InLivo). Vodka, even when flavored, has little to no nutritional value other than trace amounts

of sodium (Vodka). Apple juice contains high levels of natural sugars as well as phosphorus,

potassium, and magnesium (USDA). While tap water may slightly vary by area, it was found that

on average there can be small amounts of phosphorus, zinc, potassium, and calcium found in

municipal water supplies (Pehrsson et. al).

I wanted to use soil that did not have any added fertilizer for this study to discover

whether providing plants with different liquids would effect their growth. I bought two 50

pounds bags of organic potting soil from the company Dr. Earth. I then took 16 15.24 centimeter

plastic planter pots and filled all of them to equal levels with the organic potting soil. For this

study I chose to use seeds from the Raphanus sativus, a vegetable more commonly known as the

crimson giant radish. These vegetables have a short maturation period of 28 days and are able to

be grown in planter pots without any evidence of negative effect, allowing the study to be

performed quickly and in a controlled setting. I bought four packets of radish seeds and emptied

them into a clean container and mixed them together to eliminate skewed results that may have

come from using a bad packet of seeds. In each of the pots, I planted three seeds in a triangular

pattern an inch and a half apart from one another. Each of the pots had the same type of soil and

the same type of vegetable seed and there were four pots per treatment.

After I potted each of the groups all of the pots were placed on a long shelf on the

covered back porch of my house. All of the pots received the same amount of light and were

subjected to the same temperature fluctuations brought about by the natural change of seasons.

All of the pots were granted the same amount of liquid sustenance which was manually provided
throughout the study period. I used a substitutive method for providing liquid to each of the

groups for this study, meaning all groups received the same total volume of liquid sustenance

even if the volume was split between two different liquids. The group that was given only water

received one cup of water while each of the other groups receiving vodka, apple juice, and

whiskey were given a half cup each in accordance with their treatment mixed with a half cup of

water.

I utilized Microsoft Excel and RStudio to analyze the data that I collected. I used both

programs to perform an analysis of variance (anova) test on the data in order to assess whether

there was a significance in the relationship between the liquids supplied to the plants and the rate

of their growth.

Average Growth of Radish Sprouts fed Apple Juice vs.

Whiskey
7
Height of Sprouts (cm)

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
AppleJuice Whiskey
Liquid Supplied to the Sprouts

Figure 1: Bar graph comparing the average growth in centimeters of radish sprouts in the groups supplemented

with apple juice or whiskey. Error bars represent standard error found through statistical analysis.
 Growth of Radish Sprouts
6
Height (cm) 5
4
3
2
1
0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Days Measured

AppleJuice Whiskey

Figure 2: Line graph displaying the continuous growth of groups supplemented with apple juice or whiskey over a

period of 18 days

Figure 3: Screenshot of ANOVA test performed in RStudio

After analyzing the data I found that there was a significant effect between what the

radish seeds were watered with and the height to which they grew over the 18 days of this study

(F=16.632, among df (degrees of freedom)= 2, within df= 1, P= 0.0001214). Analysis of the data

set as a whole as well as data from individual days of the study displayed similarities in

statistical significance. This showed a relationship between what the radish seeds were supplied

with and the rate of growth that they exhibited. While there were four treatments for the entirety
of the study neither group that was supplied with vodka or water displayed any visible growth

and therefore were not useful in the statistical analysis of this study.

Upon completion of this experiment, I did find evidence to support my hypothesis that

providing plant seeds with certain liquids other than liquid fertilizer would positively effect the

growth of the sprouts. I chose the treatments for this experiment based on things that may be

found in an individual’s home and was intrigued to find that when the radish seeds were

supplemented with whiskey or apple juice not only did they exhibit growth within the first few

days of being planted, but continued to grow rapidly in the following days. Although I

hypothesized that the groups with supplemental fluids would grow more efficiently, I did not

foresee that none of the seeds that were given only water would fail to sprout at all. I have not

found any evidence of interference for this study and the lack of growth from the water group

remains unexplained.

I would like to perform similar experiments in the future but may change aspects of them

to assess how alternate factors could affect this study. I am interested in building or buying a

small greenhouse to put the pots for the experiment in so I am able to have more consistent

temperature and moisture retention. I would also try this experiment with multiple different types

of plants, both fruit and vegetable. I considered repeating this experiment with pre-sprouted

seeds to see if there is a difference in growth when given the exact treatments I have used.

Additionally, I am curious as to whether feeding granulated sugar to potted plants accelerates

growth, as research supports that sugar compounds play an important role in the early growth of

vegetable plants (Riou-Khamlichi et. al). There are many ways this type of experiment could be

altered and manipulated to examine if there is an optimal set of conditions in which certain plants

more efficiently reach maturity, and I would like to explore those options.
 The results of this experiment showed evidence that the addition of certain supplemental

liquids other than synthetic fertilizers to potted plants may aid in the growth of the plant.

Although adding synthetic fertilizer enriched with high levels of nitrogen has been proven to

boost the size and growth of plants this study may be helpful in exploring easier, more

economical ways to cultivate plants in the home setting.

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