Curious Kids: does music affect how plants grow?
Some people may think it’s nice to listen to music with their plants. But is there any truth to the idea that certain music boosts plant growth?
A question that has persisted for nearly seven decades is whether the type of music influences the growth of plants. This curiosity has led to numerous studies and even entire albums and playlists dedicated to playing music for plants. One of the most famous is Mother Earth’s Plantasia, released in 1976, said to be "for plants and the people who love them." But is there any truth to the notion that certain music boosts plant growth? Let's explore the science behind this idea.
The concept originated from a study published by Dorothy Retallack in 1973, titled The Sound of Music and Plants. Retallack conducted several experiments where she played various types of music to her plants. She found that rock music caused her plants to die, while classical music made them thrive. However, Retallack had limited training in scientific methods, and her results were not peer-reviewed. The work was heavily criticized by the scientific community, but it still gained widespread attention.
Another book, The Secret Life of Plants, published in 1973, further fueled the idea that plants possess an "intelligence." A documentary of the same name aired in 1979, featuring sensational claims like a cactus that could speak Japanese. Despite being scientifically dubious, these notions became popular in the alternative movement of the 1970s.
In recent decades, numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the impact of music on plant growth. Many studies follow Retallack's approach, examining the effects of different types of music on plant growth. However, the quality of these studies is often questionable. Some report statistical differences where none exist, fail to include proper statistical analysis, or omit critical aspects of their methods.
Other studies focus on the effects of religious music or chants on plant growth, which may introduce biases in their design. Some studies employ more robust methods, including sound statistical analysis and the comparison of sounds beyond music. Nevertheless, since plants lack the ability to distinguish the subtle differences that define music genres, the general consensus is that research testing the effect of different types of music is inherently biased.
Plants do respond to sound, but not in the way humans perceive it. Over 850 million years of evolution, plants have developed various ways to sense sound waves, which are simply pressure waves that interact with their physical environment. These pressure waves can affect plant structures like leaf hairs. Some plants even grow towards the sound of running water or show an improved predator defense response after being exposed to the sounds of insect predators.
However, it is also possible that certain human-generated sounds may have a negative impact on plant health.
Given the vast diversity of plant species and their varied evolutionary histories, it is unlikely that a specific type of music would uniformly enhance growth in all plants. Therefore, while listening to music in a lab might be enjoyable, one should not expect their plants to judge their musical preferences.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
