She who must be obeyed has come up trumps and bought me an electronic heated propagator. No more airing cupboard for me...can't wait to get my chilli seeds and toms sprouting..... ;D
I got one two Christmasses ago, but I can't be bothered with it. I bung everything in, in april and may and it all seems to deliver eventually. Can someone tell me the advantage of these early starts then I might get off my backside and start sowing.
;D Wow make sure you don't fry anything!!!! ;)
Its nice to get an earlier crop which can be followed by normal sowings and extend the season for those crops - especially tasty toms -(I can't wait and am fed up with the tasteless supermarket offerings)
Very hot chillies need a long growing season, and are best started off in January.
Okra, what is it about the watery Toms we get at the supermarkets?
I'd sooner go without.
I've been thinking about a propogator, are they much of an advantage? My greenhouse is unheated so I've always wondered if there is any point to bringing seedlings on too soon!
I've had near 100% germination using mine for the first time this year. I only use it to get things started - as soon as they're up, they get cold room temp beside the propogator, and as much light as possible. Mine is a lot hotter near the middle than at the edges, so I move some of the slower things (like some chilli's otherwise you can get significant gaps between first and last).
I think it's great!
Lucky you, dingerbell!
Would love a temperature controlled propagator (let's be honest: would love any propagator!)
No airing cupboard in the house, so the difficulty is with seeds that want a bit of constancy regarding temperature... finding places for things to grow where the temperature doesn't suddenly dive at night.
Last year my pc's external hard drive came in very handy (protected from drips of course) to provide bottie warmth for my tomato seeds. ::)
My chilli seeds were propagated last year in a plastic takeaway container on top of my monitor. ;D
Hi. I got a propagator last year and it's brilliant for starting off my toms etc and does extend the season a fair bit -which is great as I can fill my freezer for sauces and have plenty of toms for eating during the summer. I don't have a greenhouse but construct a little tomato house on one of the beds and usually get my first toms in mid June. Granted they have flowered and set fruit on the bedroom windowsill prior to planting out - but that first taste of summer is fantastic.
:D
I have a propagator which late husband only used once. As I am off to Kent on Sunday for 2 weeks I haven't sown hardly any seeds (only leaving a few trays for 12yr old grandson to look after). So would it be better to use propagator when I get back 9th April or would I still be in time to sow in cold greenhouse? Growing lots of flowers plus toms, cucumbers, melon, carrots, pumpkins, beet and a few others. (only have small garden.)
Lorna.
I would say sow the flowers, toms, cucumbers, melon, pumpkins in the propagator when you get back and you should catch up.
Plus the ground might be about right when you get back to sow the carrots & beet.
Thank you Tee Gee. Love reading Almanac.
Lorna.
Lucky you!
I have used my propagator for starting just about everything off in, from Marigolds to Brussels. As soon as the seedlings start showing I open the vents, then after a couple of days moe them out into a slightly cooler area, if you dont, I find the seedlings get drawn. Thats me anyway :)
Regards
Matt
Matty Going to keep my sister (85) company as her son and daughter-in-law are visiting their sons and grandsons in Sydney. She is the oldest sister living, hope I am as active if I reach her age.
Will have a look at this propogatormtomorrow, hope instruction book is still with it :)