How music & nature harmonise

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Did you know that playing music can help plants grow?

This revelation is thanks to agro-sonic researcher Dan Carlson Senior, inventor of ‘Sonic Bloom’ technology[1].  He exposed plants to soundwaves at varying frequencies (the science being that sonic stimulation aids the absorption of nutrients) and the results came up roses!

Music mimics the natural vibrations of the wild. Flora relies on these vibrations to source water[2]. So, indoor plants, while protected from the elements, innately respond well to a tranquil tune. Outside, music attracts pollinators like bees to garden flowers.

Plants are just like us! Their music taste and volume tolerance vary – a houseplant has different rhythmic requirements to a crop. Plus, we both feel a boost when our favourite song plays.

  • 45% of gardening fans in the UK know that playing music to plants can help them grow – and almost two-thirds (63%) do so – according to our survey!*
  • ‘Pop’ is the most popular genre to play to plants, favoured by over a third (35%) of owners surveyed.*

  • 82% of gardeners play music while they garden, with ‘happiness’ the emotion commonly felt!*

*We surveyed 1,000 people in the UK who are interested in gardening and/or houseplant owners in October 2022 via Attest.

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Musical recipes

Ingredients include: the optimal sound frequency (kHz), decibel (dB) and length of listening time.

CROPS

Strawberry, sweet pepper, lettuce – 0.08-2 kHz, 100 dB, for 3 hours a day

Cucumber, cabbage – 20 kHz, 75 dB, for 3 hours a day

Mushroom, aubergine, cantaloupe melon – 0.340-3.3 kHz, 40-80 dB, for 4 hours a day

FLOWERS

Chrysanthemums[3] – 1 kHz, 100 dB, for 30 minutes, twice a day

Roses[4] – classical music (ideally violin) for 1 hour a day

Marigolds[5] – meditation music (particularly light Indian), for 4 hours a day

How should I play music for my plants?

Place a wireless speaker close (either take it outdoors or position your plants next to it).

Plants must be near enough for the soundwaves to travel into the stem and roots.

Play their preference! Genre, frequency, and volume are key.

For how long?

Music is so powerful that a little goes a long way. Plants exposed to sound for 3-4 hours a day flourish faster[7]. One study found that flora in the presence of music playing bloomed compared to those in silence.

It’s a toe-tapping treat for owners, too!

Genres for growth

🟢 Top quality: classical, smooth jazz

🟠 Okay: country and western

🔴 Not for plants: heavy rock, metal, discordant modern (like techno)

Music & pollination

Plants also feel the benefit of music second-hand (or should that be second-wing?) through bees.

Sounds with a frequency of about 250-300 Hz can help to attract pollinators to your garden. It mimics the buzz bees produce in the hive and to entice their flying friends to pollen.[8]

This is bee-rilliant news for plants, as they rely on pollinators transferring their pollen to reproduce and so protect the ecosystem.  

*We surveyed 1,000 people in the UK who are interested in gardening and / or houseplant owners in October 2022 via Attest.

References

  1. https://dancarlsonsonicbloom.com/about
  2. https://www.news.uwa.edu.au/archive/201704119544/research/study-reveals-plants-listen-find-sources-water/
  3. Recent Innovative Approaches in Agricultural Science Volume II (Page 154)
  4. http://www.ijesd.org/papers/522-CD0162.pdf
  5. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anindita-Roy-Chowdhury-2/publication/291086163_Effect_of_Music_on_Plants_-_An_Overview/links/569df9c308ae00e5c98ff50c/Effect-of-Music-on-Plants-An-Overview.pdf
  6. https://owlcation.com/stem/Playing-Music-to-Help-Plants-Grow
  7. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0019619
  8. https://owlcation.com/stem/Playing-Music-to-Help-Plants-Grow

Author

Picture of Mr Plant Geek

Mr Plant Geek

Michael Perry (AKA ‘Mr Plant Geek’) is PPL PRS’ Gardening Expert. He shares the benefits of music in gardening - from how music affects plant growth and pollination, to its positive impact on the mental health of a gardener. In 2015, Mr Plant Geek was one of the ‘Top 20 most influential horticulturists’ in The Sunday Times. His accomplishments have placed him front-and-centre in national newspapers and TV - from the Daily Express and The Independent to ITV’s The Alan Titchmarsh Show, This Morning and The One Show.
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