The Effects of Playing Live Music to Your Cannabis Plants

There are cannabis growers that believe playing live music for your cannabis plants makes them happy and grow strong. The belief is picking up steam, but it's not a new idea or limited to the cannabis industry by any means. The question we're here to answer is whether there's any science that backs up this claim. Does music increase plant growth? If so, what is the best music for plants?

The History of Music for Plant Growth

Cannabis enthusiasts aren't the first to ask whether music helps plant growth. Studies as far back as the 1960s and 70s asked the very same question. In 1973, "The Secret Life of Plants," an article written by Christopher Bird and Peter Tompkins, published in The New York Times, looked at the various connections between plants and man. Their article, which helped popularize the notion, suggested that plants have a certain level of consciousness and that they do respond positively to music. Much later, in 2014, another study published in the Journal of Integrative Agriculture, "Advances in Effects of Sound Waves on Plants," built upon Tompkins' and Bird's findings and suggest through their studies that there is scientific reasoning to believe plants respond to the vibrations from music.

Of course, some people dismiss the idea altogether. Others, like researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara, suggest that the positive correlation between music and plant growth doesn't come from the music but from the caretakers. The argument is that people willing to play music for their plants are more likely to take outstanding care of their plants in other ways that support growth, as well.

This topic has been so popular that it has even made its way to television. If you're wondering what music helps plants grow the best," know that MythBusters asked the same question in 2004. They found that plants exposed to death metal grew the most, followed by plants exposed to classical music and speech. Plants exposed to no music or sound at all came in last in their experiment.

Despite all the science that has gone into answering this question, the overall verdict is still out - this is not a universally accepted theory. That being said, the science that suggests it's possible can be very compelling, which is why it's worth looking at the effects music has on plant growth based on current scientific findings.

The Effects of Music on Plant Growth

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The most compelling and scientifically sound studies point to vibrations as the primary reason why music may result in higher quality plant growth. Because vibrations help carry water and minerals throughout a plant, it is thought that the right plant growth frequency brought on by music results in providing more water and minerals. In a 2009 experiment, Tan Shen Mynn and Huang Shiqin exposed plants to different types of music to find that while heavy metal increased leaf area by up to 86%, classical music helped plant leaf size increase by almost 92% in some cases. If you're asking yourself something like, "do plants like reggae music," it seems that the answer is most likely yes. However, you could always experiment on your own.

Whatever the reasons are, the correlation between music and plant growth results in several key results for the plants. First, plants tend to grow much larger, specifically the size of their leaves and the height of their stalks and stems. Plants also seem to grow faster and increase metabolites. Acid levels and growth hormones have also been observed to increase in frequency when plants are exposed to music.

Companies That Use Grow Room Music

Because the potential benefits of playing music to your plants seem so significant, several cannabis companies have begun to play music in their grow rooms to increase growth. Here are a couple of the brands working to utilize this bizarre, seemingly effective practice.

Sticky Buds

Based in Denver, Colorado, Sticky Buds has a master grower that believes in the science behind music and cannabis. Elias Tempton has reported seeing much higher potency in the company's bud after he started playing classical music in the grow room. Classical music, from Chopin to Beethoven, now plays roughly five hours a day in Sticky Buds' grow room. Their cannabis is a testament to the theory that music helps with cannabis potency - their weed is always incredible. They have some of the highest quality weed you can find in the Denver area, and their mission is simple: focus on quality and grow the plants in meaningful and healthy ways.

SugarTop Buddery

Based out of Eugene, Oregon, SugarTop Buddery is taking grow room music to the next level. Its mission is to grow the local music scene and bring cannabis and people together in an art-forward community. You might have happened upon their YouTube channel, where they house all their previous jam sessions. They host a jam session with new artists monthly to promote their love for cannabis, host local artists, and infuse their plants with "good vibes." Their "Live from the Garden Stage" series is indicative of the quality, too. They have ten strains and several types of pre-rolls (which is what they're known most for), and it's all consistently good.

What do you think about the belief and science behind using music to help your plants grow? Do you use classical music for plants (or other music to help stimulate growth)? Let us know in the comments below!