No, we’re not cracking a joke or trying to say something else here. Similar to how humans love music of all kinds, plants are also fans of some types of music. And, the same way it affects our emotions and mood, the same it can do for plants, even boosting their growth rate. Some pieces can make you feel ecstatic and enthusiastic, while others instill a sense of solemnity and respect for the art.
Plants might not have the same artistic appreciation of music as we do, but they react to it nonetheless. What is music, if not soundwaves, and sound patterns set in a very rhythmic structure? These soundwaves pass through any medium, be it solid, liquid or gaseous, to reach our ears. Incidentally, you might have noticed that none of your plants are endowed with ears, right?
How do they hear the music, then?
Well, they don’t, not in the same way that we hear the music. But the soundwaves don’t have to be interpreted by a brain in order to affect an organism on a biological level. We still don’t know how plants “hear” the music, but one thing is clear – music does influence them biologically. Their biological reactions seem to be in accord with the vibrations caused by music, in some research papers.
The soundwaves move through the medium until it reaches the plant. Upon feeling the vibrations, the plant will react in a specific way. We can’t know precisely how it will respond, but based on prior studies, we can assume it will respond positively. That is unless you play out a loop of caterpillar munching sounds. That’s going to terrify the plant, most likely. You want to make your plant feel safe and nurtured, not panicked.
How is hearing beneficial to plants?
You might be asking yourself, “why do plants need to hear if they can’t do anything about their environment?” But that’s where you’re wrong! Just because you don’t see the dandelion in your garden moving about, avoiding insects, and some such, it doesn’t mean it’s not reacting to its environments. However, the way a plant reacts to its environment based on sound isn’t visible to us humans.
Well, if you could see what’s going on inside the plant, you’d know that plants react to sounds. For instance, a plant might boost its production of defensive chemicals used to deter enemy attackers upon hearing the slithering sounds of a caterpillar. The plant will produce more glucosinolate when it hears this.
There is, however, a difference between random noise and music. Plants react according to sound patterns that convey a particular meaning, one learned through adaptation and experience. However, noise isn’t without its benefits either. Scientists have discovered that noise from 0.1 to 1 kHz increased the overall yield of peppers by 30%, cucumbers by 37%, and tomatoes by 13%.
Moreover, they also discovered how these soundwaves would repel harmful pests like spider mites, grey mold, aphids, etc. Your cannabis could sure use some new headphones right about now, right? Besides increasing the plant’s yield, music will also repel various pests, harmful insects, perhaps even fungi and other threats. You have nothing to lose!
How can my cannabis grow faster with music?
It’s not a secret that growers would do anything to increase the yield of their cannabis plants. As long as they don’t ruin the taste, anything is game. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to play some music to your cannabis now and then. BudStars.com points out that that music generally increases the production of chlorophyll and starch in plants. Classical music and rock music would increase the number of leaves and plant height.
However, the bad news is that scientists haven’t tested cannabis plants as of yet. We don’t know how cannabis plants may be affected by music or rhythmic sounds. The good news, though, is that cannabis shares the exact same function mechanisms as countless plants. It is essentially a plant like any other. If it works on them, why wouldn’t it work on cannabis as well?
We have no idea what music genres would be most effective at increasing cannabis yield, though. Perhaps your cannabis plants might receive more benefits if the music is louder or quieter. Unless you test it for yourself, there’s no way to know. However, prepare for some failures. Test-and-trial processes are like that. Experiment with many genres, tempos, volumes, and so on!
Your cannabis might very well get some benefits after all these efforts!
