Ok, this is a short post, but I HAD to comment. I don't have a clue what's going on with my experiment. The world is backwards all of a sudden?
After the first reading I gave (8 degrees), the rest of them have been wrong. Not just by a little, but by a ton! In fact, they've been the opposite?!? I don't know what's going on, but the 7 or 5 degree temperature swings have been in FAVOR of the outside temp, not inside the hoop cover. Like right now, it's 42 degrees outside and 38 degrees inside my hoop cover! That makes no sense.
Well there's one possibility. To get the temperature gauge out of the direct sun, I rested it on top of my chimney leaning against the siding of my house. It's possible that it was getting heat coming off my house or bleading out. So for now I moved it to the gravel, leaning up against the side of my chimney, but still under the eve to keep dry. The temp's dropped a few degrees but it's still a four degree swing in the wrong direction. What's more it's only 38 degrees inside my hoop cover. That's way too cold! Grrr. What's going on here? Any ideas? Bizare, I know.
That does sound a little bizarre. Was it cold yesterday and today it is supposed to be warmer? Maybe the outside temp is rising overnight but the hoop cover is holding the cooler temp until the sun can warm inside.
ReplyDeleteThere's alot of factors that could be involved here.......
ReplyDelete1. A temperature measurement lower to the ground is always gonna be colder.
2. Since water vapor is a better conductor of heat than air, it may happen that there is some moisture inside your hoop covers, creating a situation where the air inside is saturated with grains of moisture. Because of this phenomenon, it is possible for the absence of heat in the ground to radiate throughout your hoop covers. To remedy this, I would think that the hoop cover would need to be airtight, and possibly set some large rocks that were heated from the sun, or some other heat source inside the hoop covers at night.
Think of heat in this way......there is no such thing as "cold". Only an absence of heat. In reality, heat is present until the temp. reaches absolute zero, which is -460 degrees.
I hope this helps, maybe it made sense.....hee hee
Don't listen to EG, sinfonian. He's just trying to sound intelligent to impress us.
ReplyDeleteBeats me, but was there a bit of a breeze outside? That might create a bit of warmth over the still air inside the covers....our orchardists often use wind machines to keep the fruit trees from freezing.
In the last apartment we lived in when the weather started warming up it would be hot outside and cool in the house. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteIf you figure it out, let us know what you find out. I am thinking about doing some covered raised beds, a la the "Four Season Harvest" book so any tips would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteSandy
Are you pulling the hoops off just before work? Because, if they're clear, the temp should be far higher during the day, right? Just like the temp in your car if higher than outside b/c the rays can't escape. That's my liberal arts thoughts. Is it possible that one or both of your thermometers are broken? Occam's razor?
ReplyDeleteI still think the possibility of garden gnome interference isn't considered often enough.