My neighbor swore by talking to her tomato plants and I thought it was a joke

For years, my neighbor Linda would go out to her garden every morning and just chat with her plants. I drive a truck, so I'm not home much, but when I was, I'd see her and think it was just a silly habit. Last spring, she gave me a few of her heirloom tomato starts, 'Black Krim' variety. She told me to talk to them, even just for a minute a day. I was sure the good soil and regular water were doing all the work. But I tried it, half as a joke, telling them about my route or the weather. By July, those plants were loaded with more fruit than any I've ever grown, and the ones I kept quiet as a test were noticeably smaller. It made me wonder if the carbon dioxide from your breath or just the regular close-up check-in does something real. Has anyone else tested this 'talking' thing and seen a clear result, or did I just get lucky with those plants?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_black13d ago

Tried it with my basil last year! Gave the quiet ones less attention and they got all leggy and sad. Now I chat with everything on my patio.

jordan_webb13d ago

Ever see that old Mythbusters episode where they tested this? They got a real, measurable growth boost from talking to plants over just ignoring them. Makes you wonder if the sound vibrations or the extra CO2 actually do something simple we don't notice.

grantmartinez10d ago

Yeah I used to think it was total nonsense too... like why would a plant care about my boring day? But after a season like yours, I'm a believer. My peppers last year got the daily chat treatment and they were covered in fruit, while the quiet ones in the same bed just looked okay. @jordan_webb mentioning that Mythbusters test really stuck with me, because it proves it's not just in our heads. Maybe it's the CO2 or just paying closer attention, but something is working. Now I mumble to my zucchini every morning, no shame.