Many stories alleging that music aids plant growth are anecdotal or grounded in new age beliefs; however, some scientists have conducted experiments supporting this theory.
Researchers discovered that sound waves increase yield of cucumbers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, wheat and rice while decreasing pests and diseases such as late blight, grey mold and tomato virus disease.
1. It creates a positive mood
There have been many reports stating that plants respond to music, but is this accurate? Studies have demonstrated that certain frequencies allow plants to thrive more than others and some even seem capable of hearing music played for them – this might influence their growth further.
Studies have demonstrated that plants love classical music and stringed instruments. Sonic bloom, the process of releasing chemicals that produce positive emotions in plants, has also proven successful at stimulating them. Plants respond well to musical vibrations produced by sound waves which enhance growth.
In the 1970s, Christopher Bird and Peter Tompkins’ best selling book “The Secret Life of Plants” popularized the notion that plants could feel and respond to music. According to this work, plants had souls, emotions and could communicate with humans; although no scientific proof supports such claims. Many still hold onto this belief despite there being no concrete scientific proof for it.
Plants don’t have ears to hear music, but they can feel its vibrations on their surface and roots. Vibrations may also aid in stimulating cytoplasmic streaming – the natural process by which nutrients move throughout a plant’s cells – giving a more complete picture.
Music may play an essential role in stimulating plant production of auxin, an essential hormone responsible for cell division that speeds up plant growth. Many gardeners enjoy providing their favorite tunes as a source of stimulation to their plants as a great way to enhance their appearance and grow faster.
Plants thrive when cared for properly, so playing music for them may help foster faster growth. Many plants appear larger when their caretakers listen to heavy metal or rock songs.
2. It stimulates the immune system
Similar to how humans experience stress, plants also respond to external stimuli. One such stimulus can be music; studies have revealed that musical notes can alter a plant’s ability to photosynthesize by stimulating chloroplasts inside its cells allowing more sunlight in and increasing production of energy molecules.
However, some scientists remain sceptical of these claims. Dorothy Retallack conducted experiments claiming that playing classical music near plants caused them to grow faster; furthermore she claimed they had an instinctual response to what they were hearing; however there was no scientific proof behind her claims and her experiments relied heavily on new age beliefs; even she believed plants had extrasensory perception (ESP).
Researchers have discovered that different genres of music can have a substantial effect on plant growth. In an experiment using glass houses to cultivate peas while playing various genres of music – classical was found to promote faster development while rock music reduced it significantly.
Simple explanation for this result would be that plants can hear music’s rhythm and melody, prompting their cells to move in certain ways and thus aiding absorption of more nutrients and growth of larger plant colonies. But not just rhythm and melody can have an effect; lyrics too may play an integral part.
Scientists from South Korea conducted an experiment that demonstrated how certain kinds of music could increase plant growth rates. They tested fourteen pieces, such as Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata and found classical pieces had the greatest positive impact; noise like human speech or no sound showed decreased plant growth rates.
As the line between art and science blurs, gardeners and botanists have discovered that plants appear to prefer certain genres of music more than others; roses seem particularly fond of violin music while metal music seems to induce stress in them.
3. It creates a sense of danger
Heavy metal music originated in Britain during the 1960s. This genre can be identified by loud, amplified distortion, distorted vocals, and fast guitar riffs; its roots lie in blues while it also draws upon American psychedelic rock and ragtime elements. Some scholars consider Blue Cheer’s cover of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues” to be one of the earliest heavy metal songs while Steppenwolf’s 1968 tune, “Born to Be Wild”, is another prime example.
Heavy Metal can be intimidating music for those prone to hearing loss and earaches, as its loud volume is often played too loudly for listeners’ comfort. Furthermore, many lyrics depict violence and machismo often associated with this genre, leading some critics to label metal music as potentially hazardous to our health.
Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath pioneered heavy rock with blues influences in the early 1970s. Alice Cooper and Kiss then introduced shock rock elements while Judas Priest and Motorhead adopted punk sensibilities and fast tempos respectively.
Studies have clearly illustrated the effect music has on plants. Scientists have discovered that soy and corn plants exposed to music respond by becoming thicker and greener; harvest yields of wheat crops double when exposed to music as well.
One researcher, however, has called into question these findings. Through an experiment she performed with different kinds of music she found that plants exposed to soothing classical or jazz music grew towards and around speakers while those exposed to discordant rock music dispersed from them. Furthermore, human ear cells responded differently to similar music, suggesting that plants responded not so much to vibrational frequency as much as to pressure from soundwaves themselves; an unexpected discovery given most people assume plants do not understand musical language.
4. It stimulates the sense of smell
Many people have heard the myth that plants enjoy listening to heavy metal music. Although it is true that certain types of music may improve plant health, its exact cause remains elusive. One theory suggests certain sound frequencies stimulate cell movement that boosts metabolism and growth; another theory holds that music influences opening and closing of stomata which act like primitive lungs in plants allowing more air in while increasing growth rates; or perhaps one sequence of tones stimulate or inhibits protein synthesis in plants.
Studies have demonstrated that different genres of music can have different impacts on plants. Classical music tends to make plants healthier and fuller while rock and jazz music speeds up their rate of growth. Conversely, country and folk music do not seem to have any positive effect on plant development.
Dorothy Retallack, an experimenter at Colorado Women’s College in 1973, conducted experiments relating to plant growth and music. Her results indicated that plants exposed to classical music grew much more quickly than acid rock music, while plants exposed to semi-pop music displayed lusher growth with better fruit taste than their country/rock counterparts.
Retallack’s research led her to conclude that plants listened to music because it affected them emotionally; she speculated that an angry plant might respond by listening to certain pieces. Retallack also claimed that when plants responded to certain music pieces they bent their heads towards it in response, similar to how humans respond when speaking directly with someone like their caretaker.
Retallack’s findings have been challenged by other scientists who contend her experiment wasn’t properly controlled. Other researchers have concluded that any noise can have the same impact, regardless of type. Furthermore, their studies demonstrate that plant care plays more of a role than vibrations from music in its growth.