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Temperature
Temperature plays a key role in every process in plants, from photosynthesis and respiration to growth and survival and hence in cacti and succulents (Nobel, 2002). There are wide variations in temperature depending upon the requirement of different species. Most of the cacti and succulents grow well in summer and become dormant during winter hours. However, extreme weather conditions either too hot or too cold can shock the plants to go in dormancy at any time of the year.
Lower plants and some vascular-plant tissues, such as seeds, can tolerate a wider range of temperatures. Species differ substantially within these limits as well as in the seasonal adjustment of temperature tolerance. Such type of tolerance is generally greater when metabolic activity is negligible (Osmond et. al., 1987).
Low temperatures are more critical with regard to distribution of native species of cacti and the cultivation of opuntias than are high temperatures (Nobel, 2002). However, the distributions of Carnegia gigantic, Yucca brevifolia and Opuntia fragilis can withstand near freezing temperature for short periods before they suffer cold damage (Pockman and Sperry, 1997), they grow well when the temperature does not fall below 5⁰ Celsius.
Thin stemmed species e.g. cylindropuntias attain lower at high temperatures under identical microclimatic conditions than do more massive species; they also tend to be less tolerant of high stress (Smith et. a., 1984). The desert cacti may raise their heat tolerance by 10 to 20⁰C (Smith et. a., 1984). Desert succulents show the highest tissue temperature tolerances (Downton et. al., 1984 and Smith et. a., 1984).
As the temperature increases from 5 to 40⁰C, the length of roots increases and beyond it length decreases (Palta and Nobel, 1988). Thus, transpiration increases from climatic or soil temperature 5 to 40⁰C and thereafter it reduces beyond 40⁰C.
If you are propagating the cacti and succulents, to protect plants they should be shifted in indoor and should be kept under cover. To protect plants from occasional frost in normally frost free areas these are wrapped in paper, plastic or sacking. The frost affected parts should be trimmed out.
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