Propagators

sussexbaker

Hi all

I'm looking to grow some chilli's and tomatoes from seed so I thought I'd invest in a heated propagator. I was looking at thermostatically controlled ones and there appears to be quite a range. Amazon has got a Stewart 52cm one for £34.99 which does 18-23c but there's no reviews so I'm a bit wary of buying it. What do other people use?

ps was I the only person to get sunburn gardening yesterday?

Del_Astra

Where are you putting it? I only use a heated one in an external garage. Toms and Chilli grow just fine on the window.

I use a timer on the one in the external garage, I tend to have it on overnight, off during the day otherwise it gets too hot. Assuming we get some sun during daylight hours.

In the house I use the unheated one, in front of a window, we have a recent build so all rads are under the windows, which works just like a heated one if you ask me. Anytime I use the heated one in the house I don't have it plugged in.

I have 3 heated ones, one is broken but one is about 15 years old and going strong. I think it was about £18 back then and yeah its the longer half a metre one.

sussexbaker

The two biggest window sills in the house both have radiators below them so my plan was to to turn the one in the dining room off and have it in there.

Sally_A

Toms don't need a propogator if you can start them off in the home, some chillies will also get going too.

I find propogators more hassle than they are worth

forgotmyname

My chilli's germinated best when i put a standard propogator on the lid of the tropical fishtank. Tank set to 25 degrees.

Seemed to be the ideal conditions.

Leif

Chilli seeds germinate faster if kept at the optimum temperature, which is about 21-25C. Below 20C they may take ages. Capsicum annuum seeds are the easiest to germinate. Don't bother with the expensive propagator, I use a cheap heated Sankey, and a cheap heated B&Q, they are the same except the Sankey came with seed trays and cost £15 instead of £10. I germinated Capsicum chinense this year, they took 5 days which is excellent. I'm sure you could use 3" pots filled with damp compost, with 3 seeds in each, and a plastic bag over the top, placed in an airing cupboard.

A._Badger

Go for one with a variable control. I have used the same Humex (the brand is sadly now defunct) triple top for the past 20 years or so and the ability to set the temperature accurately for the seed you are trying to germinate is very valuable.

Many seeds require light to germinate and will not succeed if sown in dark, some will fail if too hot, others if too cold. Spend a bit extra now to get a quality product and it will serve you best in the long run. Stewart stuff is pretty good, IME.

Leif

sussexbaker wrote: »

ps was I the only person to get sunburn gardening yesterday?

That will teach you to put on sun tan lotion. It was lovely wasn't it.

Funky_Bold_Ribena

I got one because it was on offer, they are really only useful for toms and peppers, during jan and feb. You won't gain much on just using a warm windowsill from now on.

Linda32

I don't grow chillies as we don't use them, but have grown tomatoes for a number of year. I just use windowsills which has worked fine. I've looked at propogators but the cost far outways grow you own for me.

I'm sure it gets hot enough as long as the window gets sun, and we will do when the time is right

Yes, I would have got sunburnt if I hadn't have used sun cream

valk_scot

I think mine is a Stewart propagator. I bought it fourteen years ago in B&Q and it's been working perfectly ever since. It's only got one temperature but it's been absolutely fine, it gets switched on round about now and there will a constant progression of small pots through it for the next two or three months. Well worth the money. My only regret is that I didn't get a new cover for it before they changed the design slightly, my current cover is starting to look a bit cloudy.

I keep it by a window btw and have a cardboard box covered in tinfoil that fits round the side away from the window. This helps reflect a bit of the light back onto the shadowed side of the propagator. You've got to watch out that you don't fry seedlings this way on very sunny days though, not that we have that many in march.