music for your plants

Music: a number of growers overseas play music to plants to stimulate their growth and deter damaging insects. The book Secrets of the Soil (reviewed in Going Organic No, 6) reports on tests where scientists played Vivaldi to plants to increase yields.

Australian writer Jeffrey Hodges, in his book Natural Gardening and Farming in Australia, says the types of music he has found most suitable for playing to plants include Gregorian chants, Baroque and Medieval music and New Age music by people such as Steven Halpern and Brian Eno.

Some overseas experiments indicate that it may not be the melody but high frequency sound waves that promote growth.
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I think most of us have known this, but it never occured to me to turn music on outside for my outdoor plants...I find it especially interesting that they have found that it deters damaging insects (how is that possible? have they determined that the good insects enjoy the music?)

According to some of my gardening friends who are into Findhorn methods, music of a certain frequency increases plants' innate (but often compromised) ability to resist pests.

Me me me me........La la la la la la la.....Testing!!
Who has proven what???? The bugs is still here, and the plants keep on growing, or they die.

"eyes"

I know that Aimee was quite involved in some research years ago about the effects of music on plants (I think...) and when she was posting it, I remember thinking how extraordinary it was.

But we've all known that plants like music...I just didnt realise that bit about driving off the bad bugs....

It has to do with increasing a plant's own natural vitality, which can be thought of as its "immune system" -- when that is strong, pests (defined as anything which attacks and destroys any part of the plant) are naturally rebuffed, just as our immune systems tend to repel invading organisms when we are in tip-top health.

aha... a logical explanation!
thanks for defining it in terms that I can understand.

:) It seems to work!

mine luv jammin to johnny or journey. I take a cd player with me to the greenhouse every spring and always have music of some kind playing inthe garden while im working!

Little shop of horrors. Oh wait, that was the plants singing not listening. Well if they can hear I guess they may be able to sing also. LOL

Yes, GeorgiaRedClay.. Little Shop of Horrors. The plant was Audrey II, I believe!

I played my radio in the greenhouse all summer, turning it down at night, but leaving it on. Sometimes I left it on the Public Radio Station, and sometimes our local light rock channel, but they all did well, and no bugs! Who's to say?

Well I do have to admit I have my Oldie rock' n' roll going on around my plants...........And Jim, was that the carnivorous plant, that kept saying "Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me!!!" ??

"eyes"

Believe it or not, Eyes, I have the soundtrack from the newer version of Little Shop of Horrors. Audrey II sings a very animated song called "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space".

Hey I loved that movie and Bobbie hated it. Eyes taht was it.

Steve Martin as the sadistic dentist was pretty funny!

Yes he was...............LOLOLOL!!

"eyes"

Pebble,

You are quite correct! Many scientific journals have articles on how plants respond to music which encourages their growth. Not only does soft soothing melodies help a plant to grow, but loud dischords can actually stunt a plants growth and even cause it to die! Really, I'm NOT making this up!! It's been proven.

So, bring out your old 45's,78's, and other melodius melodies to soothe your frazzled nerves and encourage your plant's growth. Leave the crashing cymbals, banging beats of the drum, and dissonant (?) music (?) to your teenagers:~)

Check this out http://www.dovesong.com/positive_music/plant_experiments.asp

When in my salad days I had a homemade greenhouse, I did indeed leave a radio on, and I never was bothered by pests such as my friend had in her scientific bought structure. I never made the connection to the lack of pests, I just knew having the radio on was soothing to me, which meant I gave off positive vibes for my plants. Oh, yes, I certainly did sing to them, laugh if you must. And I do still coo and murmur to my plants, one and all. If they are hurt or I neglect them, I apologize and try to sweet talk my way back into their good graces.

Shirley, thanks for that very informative link...I think I too will conduct my experiments....I wonder if they have done experiments on germination and music.....
I'll let you know how it goes...

Some folks might be interested in this place http://www.perelandra-ltd.com/AB1473/index.cfm?&did=8. Perelandra is a nature research center where all the plants in the garden are grown in cooperation with nature; no pesticides or herbicides are used, or needed. I have used Perelandra products for years and find this to be a place of integrity and beauty.

This message was edited Wednesday, Nov 13th 4:58 PM