For many years, there has been curiosity in the theory that plants can grow more quickly when exposed to music. It all started with studies in the 1960s and 1970s that revealed plants responded well to music, especially classical music.
According to a survey conducted last year, over two-thirds of gardeners listen to music for their plants.
Music licensing company PPL PRS conducted a study that examined 1,000 gardeners. They found that most enjoyed listening to music while working in their gardens, which could positively impact the plant's growth.
Marigolds preferred Indian classical music. However, roses were shown to respond best to classical music with one hour of violin music.
PPL PRS's gardening specialist, Michael Perry, said: "Using sound to stimulate growth is an entirely natural phenomenon. To that end - and as strange as it might seem - research suggests that plants enjoy music. With houseplants, a good beat can mimic the natural vibrations they would experience outside."
Perry added that plants in the great outdoors will benefit from the bees drawn to high-frequency sounds in music. He noted that these powerful pollinators play a significant role in plant reproduction as they pass pollen from one flower to another.
The researchers at Annamalai University used flute, violin, harmonium, and Reena music for the experiment.
Botanist T.C.N Singh, head of the Department of Botany at India's Annamalai University, said their growth rate increased by 20% compared to a control group.
He claimed that their biomass also increased by 72%.
In a second experiment, he used loudspeakers to play Indian classical music for some crops. This resulted in a rice harvest yield that was 25% to 60% higher than the national average.
The impact of classical music on plant growth remains inconclusive. However, many botanists and gardeners experience green shoots, so it is widely accepted that classical music positively affects gardening.
