Good news for gardeners! Scientists have uncovered a simple way to boost plant growth - and all you need is a speaker
Gardeners will try almost anything to help their plants grow.
From fancy compost to strict watering times or a regular pruning schedule, there are plenty of ways to give flowers a boost.
Some even resort to talking to their plants, convinced they 'respond to vibrations'.
But scientists have uncovered a simple way to promote growth – and all you need is a speaker.
Experts have found that playing music to plants can make them grow heavier and leafier.
However, picking the right playlist is of the utmost importance.
A study has found that classical music, such as Bach concertos, boost growth while plants exposed to rock music grow more poorly.
'Playing music to plants is not as crazy as it may sound at first,' Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford and co-author of the paper, told The Times.
The team suggest that a combination of sound frequencies, the tempo of the music and the instruments involved may have the power to stimulate or curb plant growth.
For the research, scientists analysed pak choi plants – a type of Chinese cabbage – that were played rock music, classical music or no music at all in bursts throughout the day.
The classical selection was Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, considered masterful examples of balance between assorted groups of soloists and a small orchestra.
Instrumental rock and metal was used for the other musical group.
Everything else that could affect plant growth, such as temperature, humidity and lighting, was strictly controlled and kept the same for all plants in the study.
After a six-week study period, the researchers found that the plants played classical music ended up significantly larger, with an average dry weight of 8.99g.
Meanwhile those played no music weighed 6.33g on average, while plants played rock music weighed only 3.12g on average.
The pak choi that had been exposed to classical music also produced the highest number of leaves, with an average of almost 17 each compared with only 10 leaves for the plants that were played rock.
Pak choi
Also known as Chinese cabbage, pak choi is a leafy green vegetable.
It can be used as baby leaves in salads or as larger rosettes in a stir fry.
It can be grown in as little as four weeks.
The plant is in season all year round but prefers cool, damp conditions.
Analysis of the roots also showed that plants exposed to classical music had the highest total root volume, measuring 90 cubic centimetres – three times more than those played instrumental rock, which reached only 30 cubic centimetres.
The plants grown in silence, however, recorded total root volume of 77 cubic centimetres.
The team was led by plant scientists and music experts at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur and University Putra Malaysia.
They said there was 'promise' around the use of classical music to help stimulate plant growth.
'Classical music may have an effect on plant growth because plants are attuned to vibrations, such as the vibrations of running water in soil, and they react to them biologically,' Professor Spence added.
'Meanwhile the different frequencies in rock music may fall outside the sonic range which boosts plant growth.'
He also said that classical music might 'make gardening a more pleasant experience'.
Previous studies have also found that plants tend to grow in the direction of soothing music and away from rock music.
The findings were published in the journal Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture.
The scientists wrote: 'The results reveal that those plants exposed to classical music exhibited significant differences in shoot characteristics with the highest total fresh weight, shoot fresh weight, and mean leaf numbers.
'Meanwhile, those plants exposed to rock music demonstrated values that were the lowest across all plant parameters.
'Despite the promise around the use of classical music to help stimulate plant growth, further studies are undoubtedly still needed before any firm conclusions regarding the potential benefits of exposing plants to an acoustic stimulus can be drawn.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Explainer: What is the High Seas Treaty to protect world oceans?
LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - While many countries have agreed to take steps to protect the vast, ungoverned swathes of the world's oceans, they have yet to see their High Seas Treaty go into effect. This week's U.N. Oceans Conference in the French city of Nice hopes to change that. The treaty, signed in 2023, provides a legal framework for creating marine protected areas on the "high seas", or the ocean areas that lie beyond any national jurisdiction. Currently, less than 3% of the oceans are under some form of protection, although altogether the world's oceans cover two-thirds of the planet. The treaty contains 75 points covering areas such as protecting, caring for and ensuring responsible use of marine resources, and includes a provision for requiring environmental impact assessments of any economic activities in international waters. The treaty also aims to ensure that all countries have fair and equitable access to the ocean's resources. While it is widely referred to as the High Seas Treaty, officially it is called the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty. As of Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said 50 countries had ratified the treaty, with 60 needed for it to go into effect. Separate to the High Seas Treaty, countries agreed under a 2022 U.N. biodiversity pact to put 30% of their territorial waters under conservation. Oceans support coastal economies and livelihoods through tourism, fishing, shipping, mining, offshore energy and more. Oceans also absorb about a third of the world's carbon dioxide, or CO2 - the primary gas driving climate change - while ocean-swimming phytoplankton provide about half of the world's oxygen. But marine life is now struggling, and human industry and development are almost entirely to blame. More than 1,500 ocean plants and animals are now at risk of extinction, and that number is expected to rise amid ongoing pollution, overfishing, ocean warming, opens new tab and acidification, according to scientists at the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Additionally, new threats to ocean organisms and ecosystems could emerge in coming years in the form of deep-sea mining for rare-earth minerals. In Nice, Macron is expected to urge countries to support postponing sea-bed exploration while researchers work to understand deep sea ecosystems. Scientists are also concerned about the possibility that governments could look to modify ocean chemistry to boost its capacity for absorbing CO2 - a scenario that researchers say could help to limit global warming but could also have unintended consequences. Macron's news on Monday of 50 governments having ratified the treaty means it is still short by 10 signatures. The treaty will enter into force 120 days after 60 countries have ratified it. Work then begins on setting up institutions and committees to implement the treaty, while its signatories expect to hold a first conference within a year. Despite its involvement in the original treaty negotiations, the United States under current President Donald Trump is not expected to ratify the treaty. Macron is co-hosting this third U.N. Oceans conference with Costa Rica, and with at least 55 heads of state, business leaders and civil society groups expected to attend the five-day event. Aside from discussions to advance the treaty, delegates are also expected this week to discuss overfishing, water pollution and other threats to marine life. They'll also be looking for fresh ideas on how to pay for it all - with ocean-linked financing lagging far behind other sustainable investment areas. For the five years spanning 2015-2019, ocean-related spending totalled $10 billion. By comparison, the U.N. estimates that every year at least $175 billion is needed for marine protection. The last U.N. oceans summit was held in Lisbon and co-hosted by Kenya in 2022. The next, co-hosted by Chile and Korea, is set for 2028.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Domestic violence can affect victims' brain health for life, study suggests
Women who are victims of domestic violence are at a higher risk of traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions for many years after the abuse has ended, a study has found. Almost one in three women around the world experience domestic violence, and researchers say the impact on mental health – such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – can last for decades. The study, by the University of Glasgow and published in the journal BMJ Mental Health, explored the mental health consequences associated with domestic violence and traumatic brain injury. The paper – Intimate partner violence, traumatic brain injury and long-term mental health outcomes in mid-life: The Drake IPV study – looked at data from 632 participants aged between 40 and 59. Fourteen per cent reported having a history of domestic violence with physical abuse. Compared with unexposed participants, those with a history of intimate partner violence-physical abuse (IPV-PA) were associated with a higher exposure of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and a higher lifetime and ongoing diagnoses of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders andPTSD. The analysis also found that even after an average of 27 years since exposure to IPV-PA, the risk of mental health disorders remained just as high. The study concluded: 'Among those reporting exposure to IPV-PA, the majority reported a history of repetitive blows to the head and mild TBI. A history of TBI, in turn, was associated with evidence of adverse mental health outcomes. 'These observations offer initial insights into the potential lifelong brain health consequences of intimate partner violence with physical abuse. 'Given the global prevalence of intimate partner violence, particularly among women, these findings highlight a pressing need for further research in this field, as well as for targeted interventions to raise awareness among policymakers and medical professionals about the potential impact of intimate partner violence with physical abuse on health outcomes across the lifespan.' The work was funded by the Drake Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Medical Research Council, NHS Research Scotland, the Alzheimer's Society, and the Alzheimer's Association. Prof Willie Stewart said: 'Given its prevalence, these findings highlight domestic violence as a public health issue with potential for long-lasting impacts on brain health. Our work also reinforces the need for more research in this previously neglected area.' Dr Graciela Muniz-Terrera, a co-author of the report, said: 'This study highlights the importance of including questions about domestic violence in population research to advance our knowledge about its long-term effects.' In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women's Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines may be found via
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Impact of domestic violence on mental health ‘can last for decades'
Women who experience domestic violence are at higher risk of traumatic brain injury and mental health conditions almost 30 years after escaping their abusers, a study suggests. Approximately 30% of women internationally experience domestic violence, however the impact on mental health including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can last for decades after physical abuse ends, research showed. A new study from the University of Glasgow explored the mental health consequences associated with domestic violence and traumatic brain injury, and suggested that the impact can last for 27 years after the abuse ends. The study, Intimate partner violence, traumatic brain injury and long-term mental health outcomes in mid-life: The Drake IPV study, is published in the BMJ Mental Health journal, and researchers said the issue had been 'neglected'. Using data from the multi-centre PREVENT Dementia Study, the researchers found that 14% of 632 study participants, women aged 40 to 59 at recruitment, reported a history of domestic violence with physical abuse. Compared with unexposed participants, domestic violence was associated with higher traumatic brain injury exposure, alongside higher lifetime and ongoing diagnoses of mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and PTSD. The risk of ongoing mid-life mental health disorders remained, despite exposure to domestic violence having ceased on average 27 years before assessment, according to the research. A history of traumatic brain injury in those exposed to domestic violence was also associated with increased risk of ongoing PTSD symptoms and concurrent mental health disorders, the study found. The work was funded by the Drake Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Medical Research Council, NHS Research Scotland, the Alzheimer's Society, and the Alzheimer's Association. Professor Willie Stewart said: 'Given its prevalence, these findings highlight domestic violence as a public health issue with potential for long-lasting impacts on brain health. 'Our work also reinforces the need for more research in this previously neglected area.' Dr Graciela Muniz-Terrera, a co-author on the study, said: 'This study highlights the importance of including questions about domestic violence in population research to advance our knowledge about its long-term effects.'
