Music to Help Your Bonsais Grow
- Ems, Verdigris Bonsai
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
Sounds daft, doesn't it? How can music help plants to grow? Next, I'll be telling you that they have a preference!
Well... there have been studies.
Bloomscape's Andrea Pink has written an article on plants and their musical preferences in "Fact or Myth: Does Music Affect Plant Growth?" -- I'll be honest, I found it intriguing. I'm going to put it to the test, myself.
Interestingly, my preferences are similar to those listed in the article in many ways. I will listen to noisy music, but I also love ballads, classical and my favourite instrument has always been the violin. Classical strings (piano, harp, cello, etc.) all delight my soul, but violins are just extra special. They make me feel something that I just can't easily explain.
Don't get me wrong, I do need a bit of noise too. If I don't listen to the occasional dose of Rock 'n' Roll, Metal, etc., I probably will go mad. Still, I can understand the plants' perspectives. They're used to nature's music, after all: gentle birdsong, the soft sound of a gentle beck or raindrops pattering on leaves and maybe the odd rumble of thunder acting as a drumroll.
In all seriousness, I am going to try to meet them in the middle and create a playlist of the gentlest music that I like. Preferably with plenty of strings involved. Pre-1980s Electric Light Orchestra, for instance. Their gentle pieces like Midnight Blue truly touch my soul and always have. Billy Joel, The Feeling, The Divine Comedy, Robbie Williams (I'm thinking of his take on swing) and The Beatles will likely feature heavily too.
I'll be honest. I'm not sure if I'll really see the difference in my trees. I'd probably need to play music to them constantly and I don't really want to become a nuisance neighbour in my tiny back garden. All the same, I'd like to give it a try when I can and see if I do notice anything.
My poor trees were quite stressed when I received them (Helmsley still has tiny, dark needles, which shows that it was not thriving when it was uprooted and all were left wrapped in bubble wrap for too long before dispatch) and their condition was sad to see. The roots were dry, brittle, swollen and rust red. Yew feeder roots should be white or cream, pliable but not limp and not bulbous. If they look like tubers, there's a serious problem and you will be lucky if root rot doesn't set in. I've been treating them and they seem to be making gradual progress, but this is why I am not even thinking about selling my trees this year.
I wonder what you'd choose to listen to, while you tend to your bonsai trees. Do you have a playlist? A favourite album? Do you leave the music to the birds and work quietly?
My playlist: