8541RB Reading for Me Level 4 Part A
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Persuasive<br />
Serenading the Sunflowers<br />
Every afternoon, my mother walks around<br />
in the garden chatting away. She read<br />
somewhere that plants grow better if<br />
you talk to them. She tells them about<br />
her work day and sometimes sings them<br />
songs. I have to listen to the whole show,<br />
because my bedroom window looks out on<br />
the garden. Utterly dreadful. I’ve already<br />
added earphones to my birthday list.<br />
Is there any method in this madness?<br />
Does talking to plants really help them to<br />
grow better?<br />
The Royal Horticultural Society did a<br />
month-long study on just that. They<br />
planted 12 tomato seedlings using the<br />
same soil and care regiment. They asked<br />
10 people to read to one of the seedlings each day. The remaining two<br />
seedlings served as a control group, meaning that no-one read to them.<br />
At the end of the month, the control group seedlings showed the least<br />
growth. The seedlings with female readers grew just over 2.5 cm more than<br />
those who had male readers. The study indicated that reading to plants<br />
does help them grow better.<br />
How do plants listen if they don’t have ears? Other studies have found<br />
that plants are sensitive to vibrations. In nature, some plants only release<br />
pollen when they feel the vibrations of bees nearby. Sound also produces<br />
vibrations. Plants grow best when exposed to low levels of vibrations. This<br />
is why yelling at your plant may not help it to grow at all. Talking in a<br />
conversational tone is the best way to go.<br />
Plants who are talked to, are also better cared <strong>for</strong>. When you are talking<br />
to your plants, you are spending time with them. This will help you notice<br />
if there’s anything wrong with them. You will be able to see what effect<br />
the weather of the day had on the plant. You will see any damage from<br />
snails or caterpillars. You will be a more attentive gardener.<br />
I’m no scientist, but I know talking to your plants won’t keep them alive.<br />
You have to water them too!<br />
So, I guess my mother was on to something. Talking to plants really does<br />
help them to grow. Be that as it may, I’m still counting the days to my<br />
birthday!<br />
78 <strong>Reading</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Me</strong> <strong>Level</strong> 4 (<strong>Part</strong> A) 978-1-922843-63-0 R.I.C. Publications ® Prim-Ed Publishing
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