Heated Propagators

[Chuckles]

I've struck mine up today ;D It's a Sankey Plantmaster 2000 2nd one down on this link www.thegardensuperstore.co.uk/acatalog/Heated_Plant_Propagators.html bought it from that site in Jan 2007 and haven't looked back.

Made me wonder who else on here had a heated prop and if so what sort. Or, is anyone thinking about getting one.

[jean]

Chuckles this is on a large scale for mass planting but I reckon your OH could make you something on a garden scale. Its just a box with polystyrene sheets at the bottom, a couple of inches of sharp sand with underfloor heating wiring attached to a thermostat and covered in polythene. Even without the heating wires it would still work very well

[Chuckles]

OMG I'm having palputations now, you shouldn't put ideas like that in my head ;D

What an amazing thing it is, thanks for sharing

[andy]

We have a mist unit at work about that size and a "heated bench" which is about 5 times the size....and believe me, it doesn't take long to fill them up !!!!

[jean]

A mist unit sounds interesting Andy

[Amo]

I have the same as you Chuckles.

[Chuckles]

Wouldn't you just love to have something like Jean and Andy have. I let my imagination go a bit wild after seeing Jean's, in my mind I had the top shed and GH gone and a poly tunnel in thier place with a heated bed like Jean's down one side. Really had to reign myself in bring and bring myself back down to earth.....too much work. Oooooh dream on Chuckles ;D

Buying a HP was one of the best things I ever did tbo, it speeds up the growing process no end. Even though you need somewhere frost free to put the young plants after, I recon most folk can get by with these little mini GH's or even something homemade. I wouldn't mind getting another HP and that was one of the reason I thought it would be interesting to find out what anyne else had.

[beanie]

I bought a small one a couple of years from a D.I.Y store, it fits 8 pots of seeds and it does speed things up . My Osteospermums were up within 24 hrs. Hubby has finished tightening all the bolts on my new greenhouse so I can start moving things in now.

[Penny]

Great set ups everyone ;D

[prodigal gardener]

I have a heated prop, but I've not used it this year. I bought a new blow away green house and its in the front room where its coolish - the seeds seem to love it! Karls not too keen, but thats unfortunate innit ;D It was supposed to be going in the porch but he has filled it up with a cast iron fireplace. Im going to have to make some room in the gh soon - its nearly March and I feel a seed fest coming on !!

[andy]

I have a heated prop at home which i bought last year....it's only one of those small "Stewart" ones.

Anyways, i was finding that if i put cuttings in there, any botrytis and fungal spores were spread at an alarming rate and the cutting died in no time.

So i threw it out onto a pile of rubble i have in the garden.

last week, i was removing said rubble pile when i came across the prop. The lid had smashed but the base was fine. I changed the fuse in the plug....luckily it was a sealed plug, and it works fine.

I don't have the top of it but i feel a bit of gentle bottom hear may be the answer. I put my Ricinus seeds onto the heated base on sunday after they had been sitting in a cool conservatory and they're up !!!!!

[Tig]

I have been and bought a small one today Thought it might give some of the 'exotic' seeds I have purchased a chance of germinating!

Branded own from B & Q - it will take a standard seed tray, or several pots. Didn't think it was bad for £9.98p, and when I got it out it is made by Richard Sankey & Son Ltd, made in England . It is only 8w and at the moment is holding at 25c. Time will tell if it was a worthwhile investment ..

x Tig

[Chuckles]

Feb 28, 2009 15:05:55 GMT Tig said:

I have been and bought a small one today Thought it might give some of the 'exotic' seeds I have purchased a chance of germinating!

Branded own from B & Q - it will take a standard seed tray, or several pots. Didn't think it was bad for £9.98p, and when I got it out it is made by Richard Sankey & Son Ltd, made in England . It is only 8w and at the moment is holding at 25c. Time will tell if it was a worthwhile investment ..

x Tig

Nice one Tig Sankey are good from what I've heard.

Crikey Andy you were lucky that it still worked after being outside

[Ladygardener]

Tig I wonder what you thought about your propagator now some time later? Would it be worth my while to get one I wonder. I have tons of seeds to sow this coming year.

[Ladygardener]

I went ahead and bought one the last time I was in B&Q. I currently have it on and my first little seeds inside. Although no thermostat or on light, I know it's working because it's steemed up in the morning.

[Jilly]

I swear by mine LG, mines not very fancy either, it has got a light but you have to kneel underneath it & squint up to see if it's on i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/rolleyes.gif .
It has got a small vent in the top, but I never know what's best so I just leave it closed but give the inside of the lid a wipe if it starts to look too wet.

Jillyx

[Auricula]

Mine is cheap and cheerful too. No light or thermostat but I figure it must help to get things going.I'm using it for the first time, with some gazania seeds, so I'll keep you posted

[Tig]

I missed your first post LG

I only used mine to get the exotics and early stuff away. It seemed to work OK, and I think for what I need it is perfectly adequate. I haven't had it on this year yet, mainly because most of the seeds I am growing are ones that need variable temperatures day to night type stuff, or it is too soon for me to get some things growing because of space issues once they need thinning out and potting on. I am not having a front bedroom that looks like a micro-farm come April this year!!!

x Tig

[Ladygardener]

And why not may I ask ;D

[Jilly]

I say that every year too Tig, never seems to work though i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/rolleyes.gif

Jillyx

[Dutchy]

;D
When Spring comes the windowsill will go green whether you want it or not....

I have ordered my windowsill heated propagator.
Now the wait is on for it to arrive at the GC so I can go and get it... and probably some other things as well

[Ladygardener]

Glad to hear you got the kind you were looking for Dutchy, now what are these "other things" I wonder. ;D

[Dutchy]

Seeds that need a constant temp to germinate maybe... ;D
It is a huge GC and I have seen it from the A27 motorway. Always wanted to go but never got round to it and now in a foreseeable future I must to collect my new toy.
Garden knows what going through it will do to the bank account ;D

[Ladygardener]

;D Sounds exciting to have a huge new GC to visit.

[Dutchy]

Forgot to tell it was great fun.
New GC always are a surprise and this one had a special section to bulbs all sorts.
They even sold ornamental Allium that you only needed to dig in to the tip of the growth and you could count on a good late spring show of I think it was Schubertii.
They had Blue bells and Snowdrops and crocus and narcissus ( 5 different small ones and various bigguns )
Unfortunately as I was there it was freezing and I just knew there was no way I could get any of the plants to a safe future. Took one heck of a lot of restraint you may rest asured.
Also the flowering Lilly of the Valey they had on offer for indoor growing was soooo tempting.
The smell... But I hate buying that kind of plant knowing I have to chuck it afterwards as it will have gone too weak to recover.
It was easier to stay away from the Witch hazel as those were too big but wow four different colours available ( loved an orange with darker center than tips ) and there were several ones that actually smelled nice.
I had a yellow witch hazel in my previous garden but that never smelled nice. So this was a bonus.

Now with the bank still complete I can concentrate on what other mischief I might get into nearer to home ;D