When to take seeds out of heated propagator

[Rose willow]

I know you are supposed to take them out when they have germinated but how quickly after.? When they have just poked through, when leaves have unfurled.? And what if only some of the seeds in a tray germinate but the rest are a bit tardy? I am probably over thinking it .lol. Just growing veg for the first time (Chillies)

[burnie]

Rule of thumb depends on what growing medium you've used and are the seeds scattered in a tray or are they in cells? I have sown mine in cells about 30mm square, one seed in each and they are in multi purpose compost. This means that because I have some nutrition in the compost, there's not a rush to pot on, seed compost has less feed in it, so this brings forward the potting on time. Once I have a leaf unfurled during the day time I remove the prop. cover if it's not too cold, replacing at night. Do this for a couple of days, then I move them to an unheated prop, this is in a double glazed conservatory, chillies do not do cold at all. The plants will be around 30mm tall with several leaves before I pot into a larger pot.

[stevejelf]

I always wait until the majority have two or more mature leaves

[Bren In Pots]

I love gardening everyone has their way of doing things.

I sow in individual pots either newspaper or plastic and remove seedlings as soon as they pop their heads above the compost. After that they go on a windowsill with white/foil card behind them because hopefully that will help prevent the seedlings going to leggy.

[nick the grief]

I have a propagator bench thats 6ft x 2ft and normally I lift them off the sand bed and put them on some runners that go across so they still get some warmth but not full heat of the bench . from there they go to a shelfabove the bench then on to the normal bench and then into the unheated greenhouse. that way they don't get a shock and stop growth.

Once you've got the seeds sprouted its a case of keeping them moving without any checks.

[bramble]

Rose willow. Perhaps it would be easier for you if you sowed your seeds in small individual small pots.
Then you can take them out of the propogator when each one germinates.
Chillis dont like the cold.
Like Bren, I put them on the window ledge with white card or foil behind them to reflect the light and keep them straight.

[annie8]

I take my chillis out of the propagator within a week of them germinating as I find they get leggy. I move them to the grow lights. I pot them a week or so after that but will keep under the grow lights

[Grafitti]

I sow mine in individual jiffy pots inside a heated propagator with an upturned seed tray over the top to exclude light, as soon as the seedlings poke up I transfer them to an open tray over a heat mat, then pot up once their first true leaves appear.

[quanglewangle]

Post applies to tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, and bell peppers. All sown about New Year. In greenhouse whole time.

I use 1500 by 400 sand tray propagator, on the greenhouse bench, set 20°C with the sensor in the soil, not the sand, so the soil runs at 20°C
Once plants have true leaves peppers and aubergines go straight into final pots back on same propagator and tomatoes and cucumbers go into bed, which has 120W heating cable about 80mm depth. Bed set to 20°C soil temperature also.

I have needed to deploy a small (200W) space heater for about six or seven nights since it has been an unusually cold winter here with nighttime air temperature down to 1°C. Everything is covered with fleece overnight if cold night is forecast. That is what the kebab sticks are for

Pics show bench with aubergines and peppers and bed with tomatoes (and cucumber at far end). All about 2 months after sowing.

[goosander]

I thought I would get over my problem of dealing with the shooting seeds/plants by making a larger potting area with its own electric cable. Now have at least 3 times more space but somehow sowed more seeds so worse off with the more space.
Such is good intentions.
Bob.

[ecudc]

coI would leave chillies in until you have a decent set of cotyledons and then move to an unheated propagator inside in a bight sunny position. I remove the lid after a week or so but pop it back on at night until first leaves are up. They really need temperatures above 10c to grow and temps below 2c will kill them so mine will usually stay on a windowsil until late April, then they go in to an unheated conservatory but ready to move back at the slightest possibility that outside temps will drop below 5c.