Topic: what can I put in my heated propagator?

[anthea]

I got a heated propagator for Christmas and am dying to use it. I've been reading on this site what the rest of you are planting so far - I'm in the sunny [?] south - and see that apart from chillies and maybe toms (which I'm a bit disheartened about after last year's blight), it's still a bit early. I'd been just about to put sweet peas in there, but read that no, they're better off not in the heat?

But I saw that someone said once Feb is here, they really get going with their propagator. So I can be prepared, please tell me, what do you put in it?

[Barnowl]

Anthea, I'm sure it does depend to some extent or where you are geographically and whether you have a greenhouse, cold frame or similar.  There are things I can start now and put out in April or into a cold frame in March that in a normal year (what's that ?) probably wouldn't survive the same treatment north of Leeds.

Basically the propagator is for germinating seeds that won't germinate in natural temperatures over the next few of months so that you can give the plants an early start and get an earlier harvest. But there is no point in germinating plants that will need to go outside before the danger of frost has passed.

In addition to tomatoes and chillies, I think there are sweet peppers, aubergines, sweetcorn, squashes and pumpkins and marigolds that can be started over the next couple of months.  I'm sure others here will advise more possibilities. There are many more that can be started in March / April for planting out in April/May that will grow too big if you start them earlier e.g. beans.

Does anyone know of a good up-to-date article on this subject?

[dtw]

I read that as WHERE can I put my propagator.  ;D

Mine is on my bedside cabinet.  :o
It's the only flat empty space I've got apart from the floor.

I've got 15 types of chilli in it.
The only things germinating so far are the weed seeds in my home made compost. ::)

[anthea]

Barnowl, thanks for this. I've got no greenhouse, but I'm in the southwest, so probably best placed for planting out without much worry of frost.

Do I take it, from what you said, that you'd be using your heated propagator to start things like sweetcorn and beans later on? ie, for things that would already get going just on my windowsill, is there an advantage in starting them off in the propagator?

If anyone can recommend any good reading on when/when not to use heated propagators, or pros and cons, I'd be really interested to know.

thanks v much.

[tim]

Anthea - what have you got to sow?

One might then advise more. Although I would certainly agree with Chillies, Peppers, Aubergines & Toms.

Most things will germinate happily in the house.

[anthea]

Hi Tim
Well, I've got seeds for sweet peas (that I now know not to put in the propagator, though I'd been going to); I've got basil, parsley, various sorts of salad seeds; then  - but I know this is for later - broad beans, beans, peas, courgettes, squash and corn.

I'm guessing that the squash would like the heat, because mine didn't come up last year just sitting on my windowsill, but what do you think of any of the others?  (would I start my broad beans in there do you think?)

[dtw]

Squash should germinate indoors without any extra heat, maybe the seeds were dead.

Don't start them off too early, as transplanting squash plants (with more than a couple of leaves)
can be a bit tricky, especially if you have a few of them trying to cling onto each other with their tendrils.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Most things will germinate happily on a windowsill, but peppers and aubergines need a bit of extra heat, so it would come in really useful for them.

[Trevor_D]

I've set my propagator up today. (In a corner of the kitchen, where it gets the light, but not direct sun.)

Already put in a tray (24 x modules) of broad beans: they'll go into the ground at the end of next month, under cloches if necessary (although it wasn't last year). I've also put some Bloody Butcher tomatoes in as well: I sowed them in the GH the other day and they haven't done anything yet. My next job is parsley.

Most of the other early stuff (ie. things destined for the GH, like chillies, peppers, tomatoes & aubergines) won't go in till the end of next month at the earliest. Priority before that will be flowers for the hanging baskets & troughs, mainly petunias. Hold fire on courgettes & stuff for months - they grow very quickly! And I never bother with peas in the propagator, because I grow too many (4 foot lengths of guttering, 3 at a time).

But it depends where you live. I'm in a sheltered spot in the south. The idea is to push the germination on a bit so that the plants are ready a week or two before they would have been; not so that they're hanging around gumming up the place & getting leggy because the weather's not ready for them to go out. I can only suggest trial & error, and try just a few seeds at a time. (And make notes!!!)

And remember that this year will be different from last year anyway....

[anthea]

Hi Trevor,

Thanks, I'm so glad to read this - I'll start my broad beans tonight. I was beginning to think my propagator was just about redundant unless I decide to feature chillies and aubergine far more strongly than I expected to (because I'm not very optimistic they'll ripen on my allotment) but it gladdens my heart to find a use for it right now with broad beans and parsley.

What about basil, would you start that yet?

And, later on, do you use yours for  starting things like corn and cucumber and courgettes? (my window sills aren't very sunny, so I'd initially imagined I'd start everything off in it, but now realise I haven't a clue how to decide what goes in it and what doesn't).

And how do you decide when to take them out of the propagator?

[Trevor_D]

Depends where you're going to put them next. I've got a heated greenhouse, so they go from the propagator to there, then to an unheated frame, then to open ground (under cloches if needed). The idea is to gently accustom them to cooler conditions. Play it by ear, according to what you can provide.

When do you take them out? As soon as they germinate, plus a day or two. Don't leave them too long, or they'll bolt.