Why Talking To Your Garden Plants Isn't Such A Bad Idea After All

Some people talk to their plants while they water and tend to them. Regardless of whether it's out of habit or even loneliness, there might actually be some benefits to doing so. You may have heard talk of plants responding to humans' idle chatter, and while it hasn't been conclusively proven, some studies suggest chatting up your ficus or tomatoes may cause a growth spurt due to the vibrations of your voice.

Since humans are social creatures, talking can make you feel good. And if plants may grow a little more because of the sweet sound of your voice, then talking to your plant can do some good for both of you. Based on the current research, there isn't any reason to believe there are negative side effects of talking to plants. So, you can feel free to grab the watering can and a drink for yourself and talk your problems away to a captive audience.

The idea of plants responding positively to voices and music may sound strange, yet there is some evidence that it just might be true. The Royal Horticultural Society conducted a month-long experiment where some tomato plants "listened" to recordings of female voices, some heard male voices, and two control plants didn't have any sounds playing for them. They all had the same environment and water schedule, but the plants exposed to female voices grew as much as 2 inches taller than those listening to either male voices or nothing at all. What's interesting about this experiment is that some plants exposed to male voices grew less than plants sitting in silence.

The logical reason for this phenomenon is that plants respond to vibrations. Traffic noise, Beethoven, or your voice will all provide vibrations that may encourage plants to grow. Even the vibrations caused by insects buzzing about could stimulate plant growth. In a 2002 study published in Ultrasonics, Chinese cabbage increased the oxygen it took up after researchers played natural sounds and classical music. It's not yet understood if or how different sounds cause different results, but the consensus is that vibrations generally have some positive effect — perhaps related to mechanisms plants use to grow stronger in the wind.

If you've ever felt a special bond with a stuffed animal or put googly eyes on an inanimate object and called it a friend, you know about anthropomorphizing and how good it can feel. Humans are social creatures and benefit from socialization to the point that making friends out of nearby objects could make you feel less lonely. Do you talk to your pets? That counts, too.

Talking to plants can have the same effect on your brain. Telling your cucumbers how your day went might fulfill your social need, even just a little bit. It can be a good way to destress or talk your problems out. But it can also make you a better plant parent; if you develop an emotional connection to your plant, you may be inspired to pay more attention to it. You wouldn't want to make your plant friend dry up, would you?