Jars and gardinas

[Gene]

Last week a old friend stop by with 3 cuttings of gardinas (I think thats how its spell) She told me put stop rooting powders on them and plant them on the north side of the house.Cover them with a fruit jar. She insisted to do it that way So here I go I plant all three of them cover two of them with a one gallon pickle jar and the other with a plastic dome. They still look real good but can't figure out why the plastic dome has alot more condensation in it .I suppose the plastic gets hotter than the glass anyone know why
Gene
Maybe the pickles ,vinger in the then is somekind of a clearing agent Gots me

[Tom]

Well Gene, You came pretty close.

During the night, the air outside the covers gets cooler than the inside because of the ground temperature. With the cold on the outside, and high humidity/warm on the inside, you get condensation. Just the reverse of your tea glass in summer.

The plastic dome may be covering more ground and so getting warmer, and traping more humidity.
Or, it may be that the dome is just not as resistant to heat transfer as the glass.
Or, they may both be accumulating the same amount of condensation, but that in the glass jars makes it back down the virticle sides faster than it does in the dome, so you don't see as much.

Condensation inside the covers is proof that the micro climate you wanted to create is working. By the way, if you had planted on the south, east, or west side of the house, you would still get condensation, but the sun would build heat inside the covers and you would cook the plants.

[Ann B.]

Tom,

That makes a lot of sense to me about the difference in plastic and glass. Also, this time of the year, the domes would provide the warmth needed.

Glen, I tried some gardenia cuttings this summer using the landspro stem cutting method and they rooted quite quickly without cover (in the shade), but I wouldn't be surprised if the heat and humidity in the winter that the domes provide does help.

BTW, we go through a lot of dill pickles around here, and I have learned a trick. Fill the gallon pickle jar with warm water, and add a healthy dose of prepared yellow mustard. Stir well and let sit overnight. Wash it out the next day, and the smell should be gone. If not, you didn't add enough mustard.

Try it! I didn't believe it when I first heard it, but decided to try and it really works!

As they say, live and learn...

[Gene]

Tom your right the plastic dome does cover about twice as much dirt then the pickle jar and yes the both do condensate the jsr clears up faster .
Ann I'm going to have to try the mustard deal very smart
Gene