Cactus plants seem like they can handle just about anything, but what happens when you pour hot/Coldwater on them? Surprise! It’s not good.
According to eHow, “Cactus plants contain saponins, which make them very resistant to chemicals.”
The saponins in cactus plants cause the plant to “become less permeable to water, making it unable to absorb water,” which is what happens if you take a sip of water and inadvertently end up drinking boiling or scalding water.
Cactus plants are some of the more easy plants to look after. They are extremely popular as houseplants as they are convenient and abundant.
You don’t have to worry about the fact that you may not find a cactus plant because they’re unlikely to go extinct.
Cactus plants don’t require you to put a lot of effort into them. However, they do require some effort on your part.
You may look at a cactus and think that it’s completely healthy only to find it dead in the span of a week. You want to avoid situations of negligence.
If you’re someone who’s only beginning their journey of plant–rearing, Cactus plants are an excellent way for you to begin.
You only have to take care of the most fundamental aspects of cacti, and you’ll find that they can thrive in most environments.
Unless you do something completely wrong, your cactus plants are likely to survive. It may sometimes happen that you accidentally pour in water that’s too hot or too cold.
If you’re worried about this, hold your horses. Well, discuss in the article below what could be the possible side effects of pouring hot water or cold water on your cactus plant.
Table of Contents
Does Hot/Cold Water Harm a Cactus or Succulent?
Cactus and succulents are both xerophytes, and they have very similar adaptations. However, you should know that they require water that has similar temperatures.
You may not think much about the temperatures of the water you’re using to water your succulent or cactus with.
While cold water can’t cause any consistent problems, it may not be the best thing for your plants. Cactus plants are hardy when it comes to temperatures that they can face.
However, for watering cactus plants, matters can be different altogether.
If you pour in water that’s too hot, you may end up harming much of the plant’s cell structure. It may, in turn, lead to the plant not being able to take up water or carry out photosynthesis.
You need to take care of this matter to protect the plant’s cellular integrity.
The answer to the question posed is that hot and cold water can harm a cactus. However, hot water is more likely to cause cellular damage in the way that it can cause an injury to the plant tissue.
It also depends on what temperature your water is on. You should also try your best to ensure that the water isn’t too hot or cold.
You want to get it to room temperature, so you don’t have to worry about the harm to a succulent.
If you feel like you’ve harmed the plant, you may want to examine it over the next couple of days and see how it reacts.
If the health starts deteriorating rapidly, you may have to report it or look for more healing alternatives.
What Temperature Is Too Hot For Watering Cactus?
Now that we know that there can be water that’s too hot for a cactus, we have a better idea of what may cause harm.
However, it’s also necessary to know what temperature could damage a plant. Cacti tend to prefer water that is a little more on the warm side, and they don’t generally absorb water that’s too cold.
We thus find that the perfect temperature for watering cacti is around 86-104 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above this would be hot.
If you accidentally pour in water that’s too hot or close to boiling, you will destroy the plant. Adding vegetables to boiling water cooks them; similarly, boiling water will cook your plant.
Harmful temperatures would be anything above 180 degrees Fahrenheit. If you pour this kind of hot water into the plant, then you’re essentially killing it.
Pouring it directly on the plant will kill the tissue. If you pour it into the soil, you allow the root network to be destroyed. When you do this, the plant will eventually die over some time.
Sometimes you don’t know that the water is too hot and you end up using it. To prevent this from happening, you should check the temperature of the water before you pour the water in.
It’s necessary to note that this hot water technique may not be efficient for cactus plants. You can surely try to use boiling water around the plants.
Hot water tends to kill plant tissue, meaning you can kill weeds with relative ease using this plant.
So if you don’t want to use any chemical in the surrounding area of your cactus plants, all you need to do is take a beat and then pour boiling water on your weeds.
What is the Best Temperature of Water for Cactus/ Succulent?
You may think that room temperature water is the best for cactus and succulents, and you would be right. You want to have temperatures that aren’t too extreme on either side.
Cactus plants tend to be very hardy. However, since they get water every not and then, the temperature of the water is especially important for uptake.
If you add water that’s too cold, then the root cells won’t open up, and instead, you’ll find that the water remains in your pot and can lead to rot.
Since the water isn’t warm enough to be taken up by the plant, it will remain in the pot and log the soil. The root structures in the plant will collapse, and you’ll find that root rot will prevail.
The best temperature of water for cactus soil is 86-104 degrees Fahrenheit. You want it to be warmer than room temperature.
Generally, warmer temperature water is accessible for the cactus plants to take up. Warmer water allows for the pores in the roots to open up.
Once they open up, they will be more okay with taking up water, and thus they’re likelier to thrive and grow.
If you’re watering your cactus directly from the hose, then you may not know what temperature the water is at.
Thus, it may be better to take the water out in a container and then pour it on your plants and in the soil.
Can Hot Water Grow Things Faster Than Cold Water or Vice Versa?
We know for a fact that cold water can’t make things grow faster. That’s not how the chemistry of water and the cactus plants goes. You need much more warmth and higher temperatures for plants to work in the way you want.
It’s necessary to note that plants do better in greater external temperatures. Plants react to heat stress in several ways.
They may respond to heat stress by wilting, dropping leaves, or turning brown. However, there are other ways they may blossom better in warmer temperatures.
You need to note that the water you pour into the plant should be warm. However, hot water doesn’t do much for plants.
Hot water is generally above 110 degrees Fahrenheit so it can cause a fair bit of damage to the whole plant.
It is a common misconception that hot water can cause plants to grow much more rapidly when that’s not true.
It also doesn’t decrease or increase flower production. People think that hot water somehow activates the soil and the plant responds by growing more quickly. However, that’s not the case.
The temperatures of the surrounding matter to the plant are a lot more than the water temperature will.
Hot water can severely damage the structure of the plant. It can also melt off the wax coating on the plant’s leaves and make the plant more vulnerable to all sorts of problems.
If it’s hot outside, you can use the water in the pipe, but you should check to ensure that the water is more at a tepid range.
Experts also state that you should water when it’s a little bit cooler. However, this has a lot to do with where you live and the kind of climate you experience there.
What Are The Damages Of Hot Water To Cactus & How To Revive It?
Heat Stress and using hot water to water your plants continually can create many problems with your cactus and succulents in the long run.
You have to realize that even if you’re using water that’s not hot enough to destroy the plant’s cell structure, the hot water can still cause your cactus plants’ cells to become dehydrated.
The more water they lose due to heat stress, the more likely they will get damaged entirely. If not completely recovered, the dehydration may cause the plants to wilt and turn brown.
If you don’t take care of your cactus plant even as worse symptoms appear, you’ll bring it close to death.
You need to note that all green plants, even cacti, and succulents, depend on photosynthesis and respiration to exist.
Both of these processes need to occur to maintain the plant’s survival. Heat stress can cause both of these processes to get affected; this is most likely to happen if the hot water somehow affects the roots.
If you pour hot water into the leaves, you’ll find that the wax coating on top of it gets compromised.
When this wax seal is no longer there, you’re opening up the leaves to all sorts of bacteria and harmful agents.
Leaves are also the parts of the plant that you would find chlorophyll in. If the plant’s vulnerability now incurred destroys the chlorophyll, the plant’s mechanisms will also get destroyed.
The plant needs chlorophyll to capture sunlight so the process of photosynthesis and respiration can occur.
Even if the chloroplasts aren’t destroyed, other parts of a plant cell contribute to its entire function, which may no longer hold up.
Additionally, the roots of a plant can also get destroyed, which may harm how the plant uptakes its nutrients and water.
Once this mechanism gets disturbed, you’ll find that the plant can’t grow at the pace that it requires.
How to Revive It?
The best thing that you can do for plants that have been destroyed by heat is to leave them be and provide as much water as you can.
Suppose you’ve accidentally added boiling water to your plants. Then, you can counteract the experience by giving a lot more water to your plant.
Cactus plants are different. You can’t overwater the cactus plant. However, in the case of an accident, we recommend that you report the plant as soon as you possibly can.
Cactus plants are hardy, which means if you act quickly enough, you’ll be able to save your plant from any further damage.
Get another pot and add more potting mix to it. Once you add the potting mix, you can remove the cactus plant from the hot water pot and add it to the new pot.
Since the potting mix in the cactus is generally well-draining, it won’t affect your cactus plant quite as much.
You can then let it be for a while before carefully adding water at regular intervals. After a few days, you’ll see that the cactus responds to the cooler water.
Some people also say that the damaged parts of the plant should be pruned. However, that may not always be the best way to go about it.
If you live in a generally warm place, removing the damaged parts will lead to less protection for the parts that aren’t damaged. The damaged growth of the part provides a space to protect the inner parts.
If you’re thinking about pruning the plants that are heat damaged, you should wait a bit. You should wait because pruning can sometimes cause growth from lower down the stem.
The newer growth is likely to be soft and moist. It’s also not likely to be better for the plant. The new growth can provide a place for the plant to grow and survive.
Final Thoughts
Your plant can get damaged when you give it water at the wrong temperature. Thus, it’s necessary to be extra careful when you’re watering cactus plants and succulents.
These plants tend to be extremely hardy. However, they can’t handle extreme stress, and you can kill them. However, there may be hope for these plants even after a mishap.
Some people might not want to try this at home, but if you want to get rid of a cactus, put hot/cold water on it. For most plants, the leaves will be cooked and it will wither.
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