Analyzing the Effects of Seed Pot Care on Emotions and Stress: An Exploratory Randomized Controlled Trial

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic heightened mental health challenges in urban life. Engaging in gardening can improve emotions and reduce stress. However, the emotional and stressful effects of indoor seed pot care (SPC) during germination are poorly understood. This study investigated the emotional and stress-relieving effects of SPC on germination during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an exploratory randomized controlled trial, 60 university students were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group cared for basil seed pots for 14 days and their daily emotions and perceived life stress (PLS) levels were recorded. The control group continued their usual activities. The experimental group consistently demonstrated a significant increase in pleasure over the 14-day study period. On day 4, the experimental group reported significantly higher viewing frequency, stress reduction, and emotional improvement than those on most other days, likely because of seed germination. Although the seed pots did not germinate on day 1, the experimental group experienced significantly more pleasure than the control group, possibly because of the expectancy effect. However, beyond day 1, no significant differences in pleasure, arousal, or PLS were observed between the experimental and control groups. On day 4, although the control group experienced emotions that were more aligned with excitement, the experimental group demonstrated a smaller increase in arousal, indicating that SPC may have cultivated an emotional state characterized by pleasure or relaxation. Overall, SPC did not negatively affect pleasure, arousal, or PLS, and the indoor use of seed pots was encouraged.