buying a propagator

[RossAllan]

Hi all, with being new to the whole GYO scene im looking to buy a propagator or a few
they cant be electric what would you recommend.

Nothing expensive, doing this all on a low budget

Thanks in advance

[Kristen]

Nothing expensive, doing this all on a low budget

Airing cupboard or top-of-fridge

[Scarlet]

What do you want to germinate?
if you don't want to buy an electric one, tupperware boxes work just as well, or trays with a piece of glass, plastic or cling film over the top.

[Madasafish]

The trouble with inexpensive is that the end results can be rather expensive in terms of losses..or lack of space.

I have a 30 year old 0.75 meter long Ward with thermostat. The thermostat malfunctions but it does not overheat.

I also have a cheapie Stewart 50cm with no thermostat. I have to open it up on warm days otherwise it cooks the seedlings: and it is only big enough for 1 full size and two small seed trays... Basically it's not big enough and I should have spent the extra £20 for a thermostat one.

Some are also unreliable...read the multitude of posts on this site and the Amazon reviews (only the bad reviews of course).

If I had the money (I do not) or the inclination I'd buy a Vitopod...http://tinyurl.com/739zveg

[Valleyman]

Go to the cheapest shop you can find and buy 300 very poor quality freezer bags for £1. Put said bag over each pot you sow and you have a home-made propagator.

Whilst I have various propagators - electrical, and non-electric, I still use the old bag over a pot method.

[Kristen]

Whilst I have various propagators - electrical, and non-electric, I still use the old bag over a pot method.

Me too I then just put the pot & bag somewhere warm enough (not everything needs a lot of heat of course, but we are lucky to have a boiler room for those things that do)

[Thelma Sanders]

If you don't want to use electric you might just as well use placcy bags.

Or Wilko do plastic covers for most sizes of their seed trays, which are cheap but last a few years if treated well

[RossAllan]

What do you want to germinate?
if you don't want to buy an electric one, tupperware boxes work just as well, or trays with a piece of glass, plastic or cling film over the top.

I work in a picture framing factory so have endless amounts of glass at hand, sounds like a free way to me

[RossAllan]

Go to the cheapest shop you can find and buy 300 very poor quality freezer bags for £1. Put said bag over each pot you sow and you have a home-made propagator.

Whilst I have various propagators - electrical, and non-electric, I still use the old bag over a pot method.

Will need to give that a go, does any type of freezer bag work? I have some in the kitchen drawer

[RossAllan]

If you don't want to use electric you might just as well use placcy bags.

Or Wilko do plastic covers for most sizes of their seed trays, which are cheap but last a few years if treated well

I seen them on either aldi or lidl the other week but never bought them. I really should of while I could

[RossAllan]

Thanks everyone will give them a go and tell you how I get on

[Kristen]

I work in a picture framing factory so have endless amounts of glass at hand, sounds like a free way to me

Used to use glass, over a seed tray, before plastic was available. Sheet of glass over a seed tray means the seed can't grow upwards - it hits the glass - so plastic bag is better in that regard.

Some folk put 3 or 4 sticks / canes around the pot so that the plastic bag is clear of the plants as they grow, I've never found it necessary but I do make sure that the bag is fully puffed up, so to speak. If using very think plastic bags I expect they would "collapse" (onto pot / soil / plant), but the bags I use are quite a stiff plastic.

[RossAllan]

Used to use glass, over a seed tray, before plastic was available. Sheet of glass over a seed tray means the seed can't grow upwards - it hits the glass - so plastic bag is better in that regard.

Some folk put 3 or 4 sticks / canes around the pot so that the plastic bag is clear of the plants as they grow, I've never found it necessary but I do make sure that the bag is fully puffed up, so to speak. If using very think plastic bags I expect they would "collapse" (onto pot / soil / plant), but the bags I use are quite a stiff plastic.

Ahh I see where your coming from so pleat plastic bags are better then?

[Kristen]

pleat plastic bags

That sounds like exactly the right descriptive term

[RossAllan]

That sounds like exactly the right descriptive term

Hahaha I ment cheap