I have been farming for a while now and have always attempted to create the best environment for the growth of my plants. Working with the goal that they flourish, I have tried out many techniques and have stuck with those that worked best for both my plants and me. Plants are a lot more aware and sentient than we think they are. Like any other living being, they too grow best in an environment of love and care.
I read that music has a positive impact on plant growth and so I decided to try it out for myself.
Soon I began to make my plants listen to the Rudram chants on Monday, and Devi chants on Friday. On the rest of the days, I made sure they listened to recordings of the flute, sitar and other soft Indian classical instrumental music. This soon became a routine at my farm.
Now, I do not claim to have any scientific proof that this works, but I know that music has definitely made my plants a lot happier. They seem to be healthier and grow a lot better after this music has become a part of the everyday routine. Plant growth is affected by a lot of factors in their environment. The vibrations produced by music can definitely be one of those factors. It is not that plants favour classical or instrumental music over rock. It is just that the vibrations produced by particular musical sounds, create certain movements in the cells of the plants. Some of these movements prove to be favourable in terms of enhancing the uptake of nutrients, hence making the plant healthier.
Many experiments have shown an increase in yield from plants because of greater growth activity in the presence of favourable music. A connection can be made here, to the sound of birds chirping and singing for plants. Maybe, they were created with the additional purpose to help plants grow and perhaps that is why plants grow best outside with maximum sunshine and surrounded by birdsongs.
Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, also talks about this in chapter 11 of their book, Secrets of the Soil. When plants are exposed to certain special sounds, they produce more and better fruits. The process is simple but does not have scientific backing even though a lot of experiments have been conducted with plants and music. When exposed to such favourable music, plants are seen to lean towards the music source. When exposed to rock music, they turned in the opposite direction. This was because the vibrations produced by rock music were too harsh. So, there is proof that plants respond to music. However, it is uncertain if music directly affects plant growth since there is no conclusive scientific evidence. Further, it is difficult to control factors like soil composition and the amount of sunlight received to get definitive conclusions.
I believe that the presence of music creates an environment that reflects the amount of effort being put into the care of the plants. Music is a form of communication which shows love and trust. All of this is perceived in some form by the plants. Maybe it is not just the music but this special attention could be what helps the plants thrive. Either way, the music is a very important tool for me while caring for my plants, maybe it could work for other people too!
A few links for the music:
1) Rudram Chants
Album: Vedic Chanting by Singer: S. Rajagopalsharma
Source: YouTube
2) Devi Chants
All Devi Chants by Singer: Dr. Balaji Tambe
Source: YouTube
3) Sitar Music
Soothing Sitar Rendition by Singer: Pt. Jayeshbhai Purohit
Source: Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/indian-classical-music/raag-bairagi-on-sitar-by-pt
