Tech: Folk music good for plants?

Subject: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: George Papavergis
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 07:58 PM

For a number of weeks now Nessie has been growing seedlings in pots in our conservatory, waiting for the right time to transplant them in the garden. Indeed there are so many pots there that the collection spilled over into the sitting room (John Conolly can verify this, he stayed with us 2 weeks ago, and the conservatory doubles up as our guest room).

Now, for years there has been claptrap talked about how talking to plants is good for them, and even Prince Charles was supposed to be quite "chatty" in that respect; so with seedlings in two separate rooms I saw an opportunity to conduct an experiment, to see if music does any good, and indeed what type of music. So for some 3-4 weeks I have been playing folk songs to the plants in the conservatory, while my daughter's boyfriend (he who does the electric guitar riffs on my last album) has been practicing his rock guitar in the sitting room with the rest of the plants.

After some three+ weeks, the resulting difference is simply too great to ignore: The plants in the conservatory are a good 20% to 30% bigger and healthier-looking than the ones in the sitting room. Yet both rooms have the same temperature and the same quantity of sunlight, near as dammit. The conclusion simply HAS to be that folk music is better for the plants. I will next set up a controlled experiment to establish if there are differences between traditional and contemporary folk.

I suggest you try this yourselves - it's easy to do - and I am confident the results will prove me right.

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: freda underhill
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 08:42 PM

Your plants obviously have good taste in music, George!

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 09:26 PM

George! George! George!

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 09:30 PM

I suppose you'll try to bring back the folk in piano next!

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 09:57 PM

Since you mention it, I suspect that my (surviving) plants have done less well since my working hours have prevented me from playing (live) music in their "hearing". Mind you, I only speak to them nowadays to apologise for forgetting to water them, so I expect that they are seriously discontented in any case and it will be entirely my own fault if I am strangled one night by a militant lemon tree.

Having said that, most of them are 20 or so years old; and they are certainly capable of making a more constructive contribution to the average discussion here than many of our resident or guest vegetables.

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: Bill D
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 10:50 PM

"Wiitttthhh a bunch of green Holly and I-vy!"

...maybe it depends on which songs you play for 'em!

Gotta do a double-blind. Divide plants into 2 groups. One group gets rainy day & sowing ballads, the other gets salt water shanties and reaping songs.

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: Peace
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 10:52 PM

"I only speak to them nowadays to apologise for forgetting to water them"

One is supposed to water them? They didn't tell me that at the greenhouse. No wonder.

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: Rapparee
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 10:55 PM

I sang to my plants and they all turned into Republicans.

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Mar 07 - 11:03 PM

My dau. did a science project on this years ago, using classical and rock music. The classical ones grew better, of course. Both Phil O'Dendrons were quite happy to volunteer as test subjects!

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: GUEST,Murray MacLeod
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 03:15 AM

George is a day early with this thread imo ...

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 05:24 AM

Not for Us Aussies!

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: George Papavergis
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 05:44 AM

Ye of little faith! As if I would, Murray - I'm telling the truth, or my name isn't George Papavergis. Really, you should see the results; tell you what, I'll take some pics and post them tomorrow for proof.

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 05:49 AM

George, do you have a dog?

Or would anybody else (no names, no pack drill!) have been farting in there?

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: George Papavergis
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 05:56 AM

The dog does have a tendency towards unwelcome emissions, that's true. You reckon the methane or sulphur dioxide might be helping?

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 07:55 AM

It's gone midday here. Yet I did not lie; I don't suppose anyone spotted the slight disguise anyway...

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 02:55 PM

actually, George, I spotted it straight away, which is one reason I assumed it was a prank ...

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 02:59 PM

...but I see your alter ego has made 41 posts since 21st March.

there must be a story here, shirley ?

Subject: RE: Tech: Folk music good for plants?
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 01 Apr 07 - 03:52 PM

Well spotted Murray. I keep one alter ego only, to avoid overloading my own memory and Mudcat's files with junk; and I simply rename it every year.
Of course, now I will have to create a new one for 2008...

Keep well and may your seedlings never go dry.