How to heat an unheated propagator????

Alan_Cross

It would be nice to apply a few more degrees to my seeds to speed germination and onward growth.

Does anyone know whether there's a quick (and cheap) solution? (No darkness ideas - airing cupboards etc - thanks!)

sb44

Alan_Cross wrote: »

It would be nice to apply a few more degrees to my seeds to speed germination and onward growth.

Does anyone know whether there's a quick (and cheap) solution? (No darkness ideas - airing cupboards etc - thanks!)

Last year I soaked a piece of kitchen towel in water so it was thorougly drenched and put it into one of those plastic chinese takeaway tubs, placed a few seeds on top of the kitchen roll. put the lid on tight and put it on the kitchen window sill.

It worked like a mini greenhouse and the seeds germinated in a few days.

I think I put the bean seeds into a jar of water for a couple of days first to soften them so that the they germinated a bit quicker.

alanobrien

A vivarium heat matt or wine making demijon tray off ebay would do the job.

I have the latter in an old aquarium and use that as a heated propergator to raise all sorts of plants.

Alan_Cross

I thought I'd been clear when I mentioned I had a propagator.

Can anyone suggest a method of getting more heat into it?

elliep_2

I think that the vivariam or demijon mat would probably still be useful under any kind of propogator.

Other suggestions would be to place on a sunny windowsil above a radiator but that depends on the layout of your house.

Golden_Anemone

Alan_Cross wrote: »

I thought I'd been clear when I mentioned I had a propagator.

Can anyone suggest a method of getting more heat into it?

Stand beside it all day and night breathing on it should do the trick.

Janey3

Mine are done up like a kipper! I use large freezer bags or you could use bread bags or any thin plastic and place it round the base of the propagator, fiddly, but it works for me.

Janey

Alan_Cross

I'd like to resurrect this one.

I have a 4-level mini greenhouse which is currently standing in my dining room next to my patio doors and stacked full of seed trays.

They get plenty of light therefore but no way does the temperature ever get near the 20-25C level recommended for most of the seeds, despite the plastic hood, except when they get direct sun which is rare.

It strikes me that some low energy lightbulbs produce a certain amount of heat. What if I placed one under the greenhouse (there IS space and ventilation, as the hood does not reach to the floor.

Would that not provide a steady trickle of heat - and, at 6-7W, very economically..?

Farway

6 or 7 watts is not really much heat at all

Try with a 60w light bulb, but be careful heat, water & electricity etc

sb44

Farway wrote: »

6 or 7 watts is not really much heat at all

Try with a 60w light bulb, but be careful heat, water & electricity etc

I think they may mean low energy light bulbs, I think the equivalent 100w is about 11w.

Alan_Cross

It's the trickle effect which is important. Even a 7w low energy bulb gives out heat and this would build up under a hood, given time.