Dr. Doolittle successfully communicated with animals, so why not try it with your plants? The tradition has nearly become an urban legend, with some gardeners swearing by it and others dismissing it as emotional culture. Do plants, on the other hand, respond to voices? Many persuasive studies appear to indicate to a resounding “yes.” Continue reading to find out if you should communicate to your plants and what benefits you can enjoy.
Do Plants Like Being Talked To?
Many of us had a grandma, aunt, or other family who seemed to have a special bond with their plants. Their sweet murmurings as they watered, pruned, and fed their flowery darlings were said to improve plant growth. If you enjoy conversing with plants, you are not insane. The practice is genuinely based on science. Many studies have found that sound has an effect on plant development. There was an increase in output at 70 dB. This is the average human conversational tone level. Plant studies with music have been conducted, but very little research has been conducted on plants and talking. So, should you converse with your plants? It causes no harm to them and may provide you with a psychological boost. Spending time with plants is relaxing and promotes good mental and physical wellness.
Science, Plants and Talking
The Royal Horticultural Society conducted month-long research with ten gardeners. Every day, each participant read to a tomato plant. All grew larger than control plants, but those exposed to female voices grew one inch (2.5 cm) taller than those exposed to male talkers. While this isn’t precisely science, it does indicate some possible benefits of communicating with plants. The idea dates back to 1848 when a German professor wrote “The Soul Life of Plants,” which claimed that plants benefitted from human interaction. Myth Busters, a renowned TV show, also did an experiment to see if sound affects growth, and the results were positive.
Benefits of Talking to Plants
Plants, in addition to the obvious stress-relieving advantages, have numerous confirmed responses. The first is the vibration response, which activates two important genes that regulate growth. The fact that plants boost photosynthetic output in reaction to carbon dioxide, a byproduct of human speaking, is the next. One thing is certain. All of the environmental changes that occur around plants have an impact on them. If these changes are due to your reading the newspaper or a book of poetry to your plant, then the lack of science is irrelevant. Nobody who loves plants will call you crazy for attempting; in fact, we will congratulate you.
