Different plants have different temperatures in
which they grow best. Too cold and the plant's
enzymes can't get anything done. Too hot and the
plant will have to expend too much water in order
to stay cool. Temperature of soil can also affect
the plant indirectly by affecting the level of
moisture in the soil; warm soils will dry out more
quickly. Because everything plants do in soils
requires them to move water through them and draw
water out of them, a plant's roots won't be able
to do much if there isn't enough water.
This said, different plants are better or worse
at the various trade-offs this entails; some can
work at colder temperatures than others, some can
extract enough water to get by in more arid
environments, some can tolerate higher
temperatures and not need to evaporate water off
to keep cool, etc. Also, fungi like warm, wet
conditions as well, and plants don't do well when
their roots are being rotted away by fungi, so it
cuts both ways (and yes, some plants are better at
resisting fungal infection than others).
Soil has to be at the perfect temperature for
that specific plant. Soil that is too low or too
high in temperature can slow down cell extension.
The uptake of nutrients, accumulation of
carbohydrate, cell maturation, and enzymatic
activity is all affect by poor soil temperature
relative to the plant. Plants need nutrients and
water from the soil, be able to effectively
participate in photosynthesis, have active
enzymes, and have functioning cells for it to
grow. A lot of the plant's health and growth comes
from the roots, which can be affected by the soil.
If the temperature change is too severe, the plant
may even become dormant or die.
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