I absolutely agree David, also thompson and morgan telling you to put everthing in plastic bags, it can only sweat, causing too much damp for tiny seedlings.
If you sow at the correct time for your weather conditions, all will germinate under their own steam, IMO propagators drag them up quicker than they would otherwise grow.
I have never owned one and wouldnt want one.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Indeed, when I started out (not recently!), I cooked lots of seedlings, not realising that is what I was doing, in a non thermostatic propagator. Rarely use mine with heat now, just as a sowing tray.
So easy to understand the enthusiasm which gets people planting so early, but over the years I have discovered (not fast, 'cos these things take time to percolate through to my brain!), that sowing much later gives me much better results.
Interested in your remarks pundoc re rooting cuttings in the heated trays - I'll try that and hopefully get better results than previously.
I also get rather cross with the shops which sell rooted seedlings in February, the people whom buy them often don't have a place to rear them well, or possibly the knowledge - the plants die, the person thinks he/she cannot 'do' gardening - and spend a second lot of money later - I think this is just a cynical way of getting people to spend more money, which most of us can ill afford these days.
I also get rather cross with the shops which sell rooted seedlings in February, the people whom buy them often don't have a place to rear them well, or possibly the knowledge - the plants die, the person thinks he/she cannot 'do' gardening - and spend a second lot of money later - I think this is just a cynical way of getting people to spend more money, which most of us can ill afford these days.
I second that, Bookertoo......It's something that's annoyed me for years.
I agree about Greedy Nursery.com selling seedlings that are quite inappropriate for this time of year; BUT must differ about the heated propagator. I only bought one in February, wish I had bought it to get Aubergines and Peppers started off in January. I DO have a heated greenhouse (with just a frost buster type heater) and a conservatory that is unheated, but the boiler is in there. It , along with the g/h which is in it's 2nd year has revolutionised my gardening, am starting to understand far more about germination and ongoing cultivation.
I am not a beginner, but over the years have suffered so much disapointment from seeds not germinating through lack of heat, that I would recommend a heated propagator, mine does NOT have a thermostat, but gets switched off every morning (one could have it on a time switch) and any of the containers that show signs of growth; the ventilator gets opened.
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I absolutely agree David, also thompson and morgan telling you to put everthing in plastic bags, it can only sweat, causing too much damp for tiny seedlings.
If you sow at the correct time for your weather conditions, all will germinate under their own steam, IMO propagators drag them up quicker than they would otherwise grow.
I have never owned one and wouldnt want one.
Thank you, pleased to hear that others agree.
Personally I think it's the cheaper type without thermostats that are the biggest waste of time & money.
Indeed, when I started out (not recently!), I cooked lots of seedlings, not realising that is what I was doing, in a non thermostatic propagator. Rarely use mine with heat now, just as a sowing tray.
I think it is also worth mentioning their use to help cuttings root, for which purpose I find them invaluable.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
So easy to understand the enthusiasm which gets people planting so early, but over the years I have discovered (not fast, 'cos these things take time to percolate through to my brain!), that sowing much later gives me much better results.
Interested in your remarks pundoc re rooting cuttings in the heated trays - I'll try that and hopefully get better results than previously.
I also get rather cross with the shops which sell rooted seedlings in February, the people whom buy them often don't have a place to rear them well, or possibly the knowledge - the plants die, the person thinks he/she cannot 'do' gardening - and spend a second lot of money later - I think this is just a cynical way of getting people to spend more money, which most of us can ill afford these days.
I also get rather cross with the shops which sell rooted seedlings in February, the people whom buy them often don't have a place to rear them well, or possibly the knowledge - the plants die, the person thinks he/she cannot 'do' gardening - and spend a second lot of money later - I think this is just a cynical way of getting people to spend more money, which most of us can ill afford these days.
I second that, Bookertoo......It's something that's annoyed me for years.
I agree about Greedy Nursery.com selling seedlings that are quite inappropriate for this time of year; BUT must differ about the heated propagator. I only bought one in February, wish I had bought it to get Aubergines and Peppers started off in January. I DO have a heated greenhouse (with just a frost buster type heater) and a conservatory that is unheated, but the boiler is in there. It , along with the g/h which is in it's 2nd year has revolutionised my gardening, am starting to understand far more about germination and ongoing cultivation.
I am not a beginner, but over the years have suffered so much disapointment from seeds not germinating through lack of heat, that I would recommend a heated propagator, mine does NOT have a thermostat, but gets switched off every morning (one could have it on a time switch) and any of the containers that show signs of growth; the ventilator gets opened.
In short, I am thrilled with my new toy
ph2, for the purposes of this discussion, a frost free g/h gives one the option of nurturing seedlings that have outgrown the heated propagator.