Today I read that researchers are listening to the noises plants make to determine what kind of pollution they’re putting up with. Basically, the type of soundwave the plant puts out tells the scientists if there is a pollution issue going on and what kind of pollution is at hand.

Is this a surprise to anyone who works with plants or has read The Secret Life of Plants? In the early 1970s this book brought the idea of human emotion and talk having impact on the plants around them. Some say that it is this book that got housewives talking to their houseplant companions, encouraging them to grow through positive reinforcement.

I’ll confess I talk to my plants. Sometimes I tell them to quit growing into my paths. Other times I thank them for yielding up a beautiful salad before I chop the head to the ground. And, at other times I beg them to forgive me for my poor efforts at transplanting them, which, on occassion puts them under stress.

So, is this next study on plant “talk” going to give the home gardener more tools for successful gardening? Will it eventually yield tools that allow us to test our soil for toxic pollutants? I’m not sure. But as the climate continues to change and plants must adapt, we will be able to look to them (or rather listen to them) for indications that we might otherwise miss.