Topic: Electric propagator

[galina]

Looks very good, goodlife 

[lottie lou]

Never thought of wasted heat via bottom of propagator.  In the absence of polystyrene - becaused I chucked it all in the bin - I wonder if old clothes would do the job.  I used old woollen jumpers in the bottom of trays to keep it damp for the plant pots standing in it once.

[Paulines7]

Well done Goodlife.      A real professional job there.  Please keep us posted on how it performs.   

[goodlife]

Never thought of wasted heat via bottom of propagator.  In the absence of polystyrene - becaused I chucked it all in the bin - I wonder if old clothes would do the job.  I used old woollen jumpers in the bottom of trays to keep it damp for the plant pots standing in it once.

I'm sure old woollies would help, though if you can felt a jumper it is excellent stuff...bubble wrap would do too.

[Paulines7]

Goodlife, I assume your new growing unit does not have any natural daylight.  Will your grow lights be on for 24 hours?  Don't get those old woollies near your lamps though as they may well catch fire.

[goodlife]

Goodlife, I assume your new growing unit does not have any natural daylight.  Will your grow lights be on for 24 hours?  Don't get those old woollies near your lamps though as they may well catch fire.

No, I don't 'do' natural light at all with lights..not saying you can't, but I find it just interfere with light direction and bulb is sufficient enough for good growth at young growth stage. And..when growing inside a unit....temperature doesn't fluctuate neither other than normal day/night difference...those energy saving bulbs provide just enough warmth.
Oh no...no woollies for my plants/lights...I'll save them for myself.
I've just finished my unit...all cables and bulbs are in place...propagator washed and placed on top, ready for action. My plan with gravel trays didn't quite work out as I was thinking because none of the commercial ones fit snuggly on those shelves, they are 'funny size'.. all commercial trays either too small, leaving wasted shelf space...or too big.. I spent hours online yesterday searching all manner of trays and containers that I could use...but found only 2!!!..one is 'jumbo' cat litter tray, but they are in Germany and would cost too much to post from there and other was catering serving tray...not too bad cost wise but I wasn't still prepared to spend that much.
After doing some more 'hard' thinking... ...I had  , yet another blue peter moment..
Fetched few more 'supply's'...and cut the cardboard box half that the shelving was packed in.. and turned the two halves into trays...with help from heavy duty rubble sacks and various rolls of tape that I already had handy.
Lights are on timer for 14 hrs per day (or so)..I'll adjust should the plants need it ,but that is good starting point.
I'll just have to get some seed compost mixed and bring it in to warm up 

Edit to add.....with 'interfere' I mean...it is because how our windows are orientated and the rooms are dark..young plants tend to stretch too much towards natural light...

[ed dibbles]

That's a great set up you have there, goodlife, you should be able to fit quite a lot in growing everything to a good healthy size quickly.

I also think 14 hours light is about the right amount. After all plants like tomato/pepper/aubergine etc. come from closer to the equator than here so would never experience the long day lengths we get in summer. 14 hours is about mid april/mid august days - around the time you plant out under cover or harvest tomatoes respectively.

My set up isn't as organized as yours but it seems to be doing the trick. 

Roll on spring.

[Paulines7]

Thanks for your reply, Goodlife.  I had no idea how much light the plants would need.

I still haven't decided on a propagator yet.  It is a toss up between the one from Two West and Elliotts that comes with 14 quarter sized trays (almost £50 with postage) or a Stewart 52cm propagator from Amazon that, according to the reviews, has a flimsy lid and will cost about £25 including postage.  I am waiting to see what type my friend has but she has had this virus that is doing the rounds so I haven't been able to go and look at hers yet,

[goodlife]

Thanks for your reply, Goodlife.  I had no idea how much light the plants would need.

I still haven't decided on a propagator yet.  It is a toss up between the one from Two West and Elliotts that comes with 14 quarter sized trays (almost £50 with postage) or a Stewart 52cm propagator from Amazon that, according to the reviews, has a flimsy lid and will cost about £25 including postage.  I am waiting to see what type my friend has but she has had this virus that is doing the rounds so I haven't been able to go and look at hers yet,

Hmm..flimsy lid? I would be surprised about that.  Usually they all have as solid lids as they come. I have similar size one to the Stewart one..but mine is Sankey and they have solid lids.
Oh, just though of something.... I wonder.....some of these 'propagators' come as unheated...and those have flimsy lids...there must
been some sort of mix up.
If you have Wilko nearby...keep eye on their gardening stuff....if I remember right, you can buy from them heated Stewart propagators...you could go and inspect..though I'm not sure how much they are there to compare...you can check their goods and prices online and have delivery into shop for free...

[Paulines7]

Goodlife, have a look at the reviews for the Stewart propagator; a lot of them mention a flimsy lid.  The lids are solid but when the word flimsy is used, it means that it is easily damaged, fragile, breakable, insubstantial.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewart-52cm-Essentials-Electric-Propagator/dp/B008H1J45Q/ref=pd_cp_lp_2#customerReviews

The Stewart propagator is heated and is 22 watts.  The nearest Wilko is at least a 30 mile round trip from here, but they sell the Stewart ones at my local garden centre so I am going to have a look at them today. 

[goodlife]

Goodlife, have a look at the reviews for the Stewart propagator; a lot of them mention a flimsy lid.  The lids are solid but when the word flimsy is used, it means that it is easily damaged, fragile, breakable, insubstantial.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewart-52cm-Essentials-Electric-Propagator/dp/B008H1J45Q/ref=pd_cp_lp_2#customerReviews

The Stewart propagator is heated and is 22 watts.  The nearest Wilko is at least a 30 mile round trip from here, but they sell the Stewart ones at my local garden centre so I am going to have a look at them today.

I had look at your link and yes, they do mention about the lids...and that manufacture do have the 'replacement' lids that are stronger!!?? I'm surprised about those comments....I just wonder if there has been some manufacturing error in past with some batch...and they've rather waited people to complain than just change before sale...or something....???

[goodlife]

Goodlife, have a look at the reviews for the Stewart propagator; a lot of them mention a flimsy lid.  The lids are solid but when the word flimsy is used, it means that it is easily damaged, fragile, breakable, insubstantial.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewart-52cm-Essentials-Electric-Propagator/dp/B008H1J45Q/ref=pd_cp_lp_2#customerReviews

The Stewart propagator is heated and is 22 watts.  The nearest Wilko is at least a 30 mile round trip from here, but they sell the Stewart ones at my local garden centre so I am going to have a look at them today.

I just looked Steward website...and they have 'premium' and 'essential' range with their propagators...and replacement lids for those ranges too...and that would explain the lid difference. I bet you have to buy 'premium variable propagator' to get it with strong lid...and 'essential variable propagator' would be with 'economy' lids.
Mine is older model of this..http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sankey-52-Premier-Growarm-300/dp/B0001NXHII/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lp_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0RR5DGNYY3S3F49HEXWM  and they are as robust as they come...I have couple small ones that are 15+ years old and still working just as they did as they were new.
The small propagator on my last photo is Sankey...few years old model and I have same in larger size too....AND...they are made here in Nottinghamshire...all with robust 'solid' lids!
I believe this one is Steward's propagator with 'rigid' lid... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stewart-Thermostatic-Control-Electric-Propagator/dp/B006ZNCOVE/ref=pd_cp_lp_0

Personally...I don't see that much problems with more 'flimsier' lids...as long as they sit against the propagator well and don't leak much heat out..

[kGarden]

Cracking job :)  I have a couple of multi-tier blowaways, which I used to put in the Conservatory in the Spring with an incandescent bulb in the bottom as a heater! Haven't used them in a while, and don't use incandescent bulbs any more either ... I could convert them to a growaway :D

Laterly I have been using a small tunnel in the conservatory in the spring instead, with a metal halide lamp strung from the ridge; that's 400W and plenty enough heat to keep inside at 10C+ in Spring.

Goodlife, I assume your new growing unit does not have any natural daylight

No, I don't 'do' natural light at all with lights..not saying you can't, but I find it just interfere with light direction and bulb is sufficient enough for good growth at young growth stage

For anyone using a multi-tube lighting rig I think the shade it casts, and the fact that it needs to be close to the plants, means that no natural light would reach the plants (unless the rig was removed during the day).

When I use a metal halide lamp, in the Conservatory rather than my Home Office, I do use natural light. The lamp is a good two feet above the plants and only the size of bulb + reflector, and I run it on a timer to come on at night.  More need for extra heat at that time, and we have economy-7 so electricity cheaper at night, and the plants get whatever daylight is available as well.  Timer on midnight-7am, so they get some night-hours as well.

I don't know how many hours light they need / would benefit from - or perhaps more correctly the minimum time of darkness, if any?, that they need. Otherwise I presume it makes sense to provide the maximum extra-light-hours for fastest plant development. Strikes me that you need two, or more, rigs side by side for a controlled experiment, eh?!!

I grew some Cannas from seed one year.  Seeds sown in late September, grown under Metal Halide at 16 hours per day (I had no idea how much light they needed), they were 5' tall and flowering by XMAS !! so clearly they made good use of the light / hours.

[goodlife]

I don't know how many hours light they need / would benefit from - or perhaps more correctly the minimum time of darkness, if any?, that they need. Otherwise I presume it makes sense to provide the maximum extra-light-hours for fastest plant development. Strikes me that you need two, or more, rigs side by side for a controlled experiment, eh?!!

It all depends what kind of plants you are growing and how you want to develop the growth/what stage of development they are.
I know from my previous 'tent' versions that one of these light bulb will be enough of each shelving are (50x40 cm) and I've covered even larger area but then I used mirrors as reflector.
But as I only need the lights for chillies/peppers/toms and some cuttings one of those 'blue' bulbs is sufficient until they grow too large/start forming flower buds.
I do have additional 'red' bulb that will support flowering/fruiting stage but haven't used it as all my plants go outside/in GH for summer. Personally what I'm looking is not the 'fastest' development but that the plants are and looking healthy.
Experiments are always fun.. ..and indeed would be great to be able to do so...but often it is enough when one knows what time of the year plants are happy growing in natural light in UK...it is easy to give roughly (or touch more) the same light conditions. Any more 'tropical' plant types, or those that originate from 'hot' countries...one just have try and mimic what they are receiving over there. Good thing is  that most plants are quite adaptable...

[Paulines7]

I just looked Steward website...and they have 'premium' and 'essential' range with their propagators...and replacement lids for those ranges too...and that would explain the lid difference. I bet you have to buy 'premium variable propagator' to get it with strong lid...and 'essential variable propagator' would be with 'economy' lids.

Spot on Goodlife, we found that out today.  There were three different types of 52cm Stewart propagators that they sold in our local garden centre.  There were the Essentials with flimsy lids, but there were none of that size in stock and the Premiums models with strong lids were reduced from £49.99 to £34.99.  They also had another Premium model with a variable temperature control for a temperature between 12 and 28 degrees celsius.  This top of the range model was £64.99.  However, we decided to look in at another garden centre that was nearby.  They had a 52cm Premium model propagator on offer for £27.50.  The box was faded and damaged but everything was intact inside.  all right, it doesn't have the variable temperature control but I didn't want to spend an extra £37.49 just to get one that had it.   

[goodlife]

  result...and for good price too!  ...who cares about the cardboard box.
You've done good shopping there.

[kGarden]

Personally what I'm looking is not the 'fastest' development but that the plants are and looking healthy.

Yup, "fastest" probably not the right choice of word on my part. If I am starting plants early under lights I want to give the maximum light that they can benefit from, so they have the greatest possible development from that early start.  If I'm only going to be harvesting tomatoes, say, a week earlier than if I sowed them in March then I'd prefer not to bother :)

Conversely, I might sow later, with the maximum possible light, to get a plant of "right size and vigour" at planting out time.  Might help me use the precious light-rig growing space more effectively.

My main problem this year is that I've moved home office to a different room and its too small for a lighting rig. Only room readily available is the boiler room, and that is swelteringly hot ... maybe that will be a benefit, I'll find out soon!

[goodlife]

My main problem this year is that I've moved home office to a different room and its too small for a lighting rig. Only room readily available is the boiler room, and that is swelteringly hot ... maybe that will be a benefit, I'll find out soon!

 .... .........


Boiler room!...now that brings me some  memories...  Well, you won't need propagator there..you are sorted with that 'department'.
I never thought using work's boiler room for plant propagation...(I wish I would have)...but amongst other odd places to cut somebody's hair..I've done it in boiler room..

If you are allowed to put light in boiler room....you could grow all manner of crops there... ...first things that entered my mind for such a place...aubergines and pineapples they like good warmth..

[kGarden]

Our boiler is a log burner, so my biggest issue with it is the dust from the ash (cleaning out the boiler), so will be interesting to see if that upsets the plants, or I have to spend time cleaning their leaves.  But no problem with heat that's for sure!

[Paulines7]

Goodlife, having bought my propagator I am now looking to make a grow box.  You said you had your lamp bulbs in clamp on holders.  Is this so you can move the light up or down?  John says he already has some lamp holders but they screw into wood.  Do you think they will be all right assuming we buy the grow bulbs with end fittings that match?