PSA: I thought talking to plants was nonsense until my fiddle leaf fig put out three new leaves in a week.

My friend in Portland swore by chatting to her houseplants, and I always rolled my eyes. After my fiddle leaf fig sat dormant for almost a year, I gave it a try, just talking to it while I watered it for a few minutes each morning. A week later, it had three huge new leaves, which felt like a weird, undeniable coincidence. Has anyone else had a plant respond to something you were totally skeptical about?

4 comments

4 Comments

taraross3mo ago

I read somewhere that the carbon dioxide from your breath when you talk to them might actually help. Idk if it's true but it's a cool idea.

laura8413mo ago

My basil plant on the kitchen windowsill completely changed when I started playing the radio for it. I read that plants might like vibrations, so I left a talk station on low volume during the day. It went from a few sad stems to a bushy mess I had to trim twice a week. It made me wonder how many little things we do without noticing actually affect our surroundings. There's probably a science to it about sound waves or just giving them more attention, but it feels like a small, quiet connection.

the_sam3mo ago

My friend Mark had a spider plant in his office that was barely hanging on. He started leaving a small fan on low near it for white noise while he worked. Within a month that thing exploded with new growth and baby spiderettes all over the place. He swears it was the constant gentle air movement, like it was simulating a natural breeze. It really makes you notice how static our indoor environments are for plants. Your radio story feels like the same kind of simple fix we just never think to try.

hannah3201mo ago

Totally makes sense. Plants are used to wind and bugs and all kinds of outdoor noise. Our houses must feel like weird, silent boxes to them. Maybe just breaking up that stillness tells them it's safe to grow.