The Grass Doctor

My plant grew faster in cold water. WHY!!!?

I did an experiment Each cup had 10 canary grass seeds in it and watered each with different water temperatures One cup had hot water- didn't grow one cup had regular room temp. water one cup had cold water the cup with cold water grew slightly more than the cup with water at room temp. why?? They all had the same amount of water and the same environment. Doesn't cold water kill plants?? ooo no. sorry I phrased my question wrong. the seeds are in soil. I watered them with different water temperatures.

Public Comments

1. It just depends, it can be random, but it so happens that canary grass grows quicker at slightly chilly temperatures so that is what it has adapted and evolved to grow better in.
2. By submerging the seeds in the water, you were actually asphyxiating the seeds! Seeds need oxygen to breakdown the starch in the seeds for energy to germinate and grow. The hot water probably killed the embryo of the seed. Room temperature water would have less oxygen than cold water which could explain the slight difference in growth. Cold water can dissolve and hold more oxygen than warmer temperatures. If you have time to continue the work, you could use a small aquarium air pump and an airstone to bubble air through the water to see if there is an increase in the growth of the seeds.