"Rod" wrote in message
...
Franz Heymann wrote:
Mist propagation was mentioned in another thread quite recently. That
triggered me into asking something I have always wanted to know:

What does mist propagation do which cannot be done by inverting a
transparent container over the cutting?
I have always thought that the purpose of either action is simply to
maintain an atmosphere which is as nearly as possible fully saturated
with
water vapour in order to minimise evaporation from the surfaces of the
leaves.

Franz


Not much ;~)) It does keep the top of the cutting cool which helps in
the summer.

How does the mist keep it cool? Since the local air is saturated, there
cannot be much by way of cooling evaporation (after all, this is what the
mist is supposed to stop).

The maxim was 'cool tops/warm bottoms'. A big problem with
the plastic bag or closed propagator approach is the high temperstures
you get with even a small amount of sunshine - the cuttings get cooked
quite easily.

But one does not keep the covered cuttings in straight sunshine. Mine are
always kept agains a North facing wall or suchlike until they have rooted.

[snip]

Franz