At the height of new age thinking, the concept that plants could respond to music emerged. One book in particular, The Secret Life of Plants, helped popularize this belief that plants respond to various vibrations including music or specific tones.
Experiments have revealed that plants exposed to soothing classical and jazz music responded positively, growing towards speakers and intertwining themselves around them, while they succumbed when exposed to rock music. Conversely, however, when exposed to rock music they wilted and died quickly.
1. Plants grow closer to the speaker
As you water your plants or simply enjoy relaxing in your garden, you might have heard that certain kinds of music help them flourish more. This belief is widely held, with several experiments supporting it; on the other hand, many botanists dismiss these claims as pseudoscience; however, one researcher found that wheat crops exposed to violin music had greater yields than those that hadn’t; this phenomenon may be explained by vibrations created by musical vibrations; scientists speculate this might have something to do with how plants respond.
Colorado Women’s College researcher Dorothy Retallack conducted some experiments to see whether plants could respond to sound, and how different genres affected their growth. She played classical, jazz and rock music to her plants in controlled conditions; those exposed to classical or jazz were more inclined to grow closer towards speakers while rock music caused them to move further away. Retallack found that when exposed to classical or jazz music their growth gravitated toward them while when exposed to rock music they moved further from them seemingly wanting to escape its sound and vibrations.
No one knows for certain whether the plants grew better from listening to classical or being moved away from speakers, but their response is intriguing nonetheless. Scientists speculated it may have something to do with specific frequencies that trigger protoplasm to move and increase metabolism and food production, or with opening and closing of stomata which act like primitive lungs; regardless of why this happened, plants clearly have preferences when it comes to music!
Though some researchers have discovered that plants prefer soft or easy listening music, others have shown it doesn’t matter as long as it doesn’t play too loudly. There are even playlists tailored specifically towards plants on certain streaming services – although whether plants recognize genre differences is still unknown. Most scientists agree, though, that soft music will encourage their growth.
2. Plants grow taller
Plants have long been known to respond to their environments in various ways. When temperatures get too hot, plants respond by curling up to conserve moisture and producing terpenes as protection from pest infestations. But plants also react to sound and vibrations – some scientists even believe that plants may hear music and songs! Various studies have explored whether plants respond positively in response to musical sounds; results have varied depending on which music was played at what volume level and type. Some have reported taller growth when in proximity of musical sounds while other research indicates its effects depending on which types and volumes.
Dorothy Retallack’s 1970s experiment revealed that plants that “listened” to classical music grew taller and healthier than plants planted without sound. Eugene Canby in Canada discovered similar results: wheat exposed to violin sonatas increased yield by 66%! More recently, Illinois researchers observed soy and corn plants produced 40% higher yields when exposed to music than their control counterparts.
Music may affect plants in several ways. One theory holds that it encourages them to open their stomata, allowing for increased light penetration and absorption, leading to faster growth. Scientists have conducted various experiments with classical, jazz and rock genres of music and all stimulate plant growth whereas exposure to frequencies found in rock music led to rapid degradation and even death for some specimens.
Mythbusters conducted a series of greenhouse tests to examine whether plants grew better with or without music, and found that classical music played in one greenhouse helped it flourish the most, while death metal in another shrunk growth rates significantly. They also tried other genres like traffic noise, Indian classical, and Vedic chants – the results of these being similar with people talking being the highest of them all; although high-frequency music may cause its stomata (pores) to close prematurely leading to dehydration of plant life.
3. Plants grow bigger pea pods
Many have heard that talking to plants can help them flourish, possibly due to the vibrations created when we speak. Our voices stimulate protoplasm – the substance which transports nutrients in plants – thus speeding up their growth and helping the plant flourish more quickly. Research suggests the same process occurs with music; indeed plants respond positively to various genres.
One of the earliest experiments on how music affects plants was conducted by a botanist at Annamalia University in India in 1962. He found that certain plants increased by 20% in height and yield when exposed to music. Later studies conducted in Colorado by another researcher revealed that certain genres of violin music helped plants thrive while certain genres of rock music actually damaged them.
Dorothy Retallack was fascinated with the effects of music on plants. To conduct an experiment, she placed several types of plants in an enclosure with a speaker. She observed that those exposed to classical and jazz music leant toward it and often became entangled around its speakers while those listening to rock music began quickly deteriorating and died within several weeks.
Rock music appears to cause damage to plants due to its high-frequency vibrations, which mimic the conditions found when too much water has been applied. Another potential reason could be its high-pitched tone mimicking the sounds produced when stressed plants emit stress signals.
Other researchers have discovered that certain genres of music promote plant growth while others can have the opposite effect. Roses and tomatoes tend to respond best to music with rhythmic beats like jazz or new age music, while harsher genres like heavy metal may irritate and weaken them instead. Some scientists speculate this might be because harsher genres use more distortion and overdrive which can overwhelm their cells.
4. Plants grow faster
Studies on the effect of music on plants demonstrate that it actually promotes their growth. One theory suggests that vibrations from music cause plant’s stomata to open, allowing more sunlight and nutrients into their bodies; more research needs to be done regarding this theory.
In 1962, an Indian botanist conducted numerous studies on music and plant growth. He found that certain plants grew by up to 20 percent more height and biomass when exposed to music – even agricultural crops such as peanuts, rice and tobacco were affected. Furthermore, classical music proved especially helpful for stimulating plant growth.
Another study conducted by a Colorado greenhouse owner examined the effect of different genres of music on two varieties of plants. He discovered that plants exposed to rock music quickly declined and died within several weeks while those exposed to classical music thrived – this confirms the reality that certain sound frequencies activate genes to accelerate plant growth while others damage leaves and make plants unhealthy.
This study evaluated five genres of music for their effects on plants’ stomata – mini openings on leaves that allow plants to breathe – on their effects on plant stomata. Plants exposed to classical music grew fuller and greener with healthier stems while those exposed to heavy metal suffered gangly leaves and distortion. Other genres like New Age and Celtic music enhanced growth while noisy rock damaged them similarly to excess rainfall or strong winds would.
Assumptions suggest that when plants were exposed to musical sounds, their stomata opened as these vibrations stimulated specific sets of vibrations that resulted in them producing protein for growth purposes. Unfortunately, it is unknown if plants can distinguish different sounds, as overexposing them can dehydrate plants and pose other health concerns.