Can music make plants grow faster? - Image is AI generated
MUSIC is life, music is the air you breathe. Most of us would agree that music has therapeutic effects on one’s mind and mood.
For avid music enthusiasts, a day without your playlist feels like life itself has lost its thrill. For some reason, as much as music has a wonderful effect on humans, does it have an impact on plant growth?
Is it true that a plant grows faster while music is played in the garden?
Verdict:
TRUE
Interestingly enough, In an interview with Pedestrian.tv as quoted by Better Homes, University of Melbourne head researcher at Plant Life Balance, Dr Dominique Hes said that plants enjoy the energy that comes along with music and helps in their growth.
She was quoted as saying: "Plants thrive when they listen to music that sits between 115Hz and 250Hz, as the vibrations emitted by such music emulate similar sounds in nature.
"Plants don’t like being exposed to music more than one to three hours per day.
"Jazz and classical music seem to be the music of choice for ultimate plant stimulation.
"Some sounds can make the stomata on plants stay open longer (the tiny pores that act like lungs on plants) which means they take in more air and grow faster."
According to The Independent, it was reported that nearly two-thirds of gardeners play music to their plants.
Research and studies have proven that music helps plants to grow. The vibrations of the beats have a profound impact on the growth of plants.
A survey conducted by music licensing company PPL PRS, which conducted a study on 1,000 gardeners, found that 63% played music to their plants.
Just like people, plants enjoy the joys of music and prefer classical music. Further studies also showed the different types of genres enjoyed by plants.
Roses have shown an effective growth after listening to classical music, while chrysanthemums thrive after just 30 minutes into the genre.
PPL PRS’s gardening expert Michael Perry (AKA “Mr Plant Geek”) was quoted saying: "Using sound to stimulate growth is an entirely natural phenomenon.
"To that end – and as strange as it might seem – research suggests that plants enjoy music. With houseplants, a good beat can mimic the natural vibrations they would experience outside," he was quoted saying.
The research further revealed that 81% of gardeners play music to their plants, with pop music being the most popular genre enjoyed by plants.
"Plants in the great outdoors will benefit from the bees that are drawn to high-frequency sounds in music – these powerful pollinators play a pivotal role in plant reproduction as they pass pollen from one flower to another," Perry was further quoted as saying.
So the next time you start planting a new plant in your garden or are finding ways to keep your plants healthy, perhaps you could give music a try and play up on those soothing classics or spice it up a little bit with a touch of pop, perhaps a tune from Dua Lipa?
They might be grooving to it in no time and start growing well.
References:
1. https://www.independent.co.uk/
2. https://www.bhg.com.au/indoor-
3. https://mrplantgeek.com/2022/
3. https://www.medindia.net/news/
