Does the water temperature affect the growth of plants?Does the water temperature affect the growth of plants?
Dr. Lynette Morgan replies: In hydroponics, the water or nutrient temperature does affect the growth of plants. This may or may not be the case in soil, since the temperature of the soil may have an overriding effect. Generally each crop species has an optimum root zone temperature for maximum uptake of water and minerals. Some plants prefer a warm root zone and others prefer a cooler root zone. However, for most of the crops we grow hydroponically, this optimum is in the 60-79 deg. F range. At these levels, the reactions in root cells are occurring at an optimum rate and plant growth will be fastest–provided the aerial environmental around the plant is also at an optimum and the nutrient solution is properly balanced (the right nutrients are available and the osmotic strength of the nutrient is at a good level).
