Propagator

[anthonyjb]

Hope this is not a daft question
But do you leave the vents open or closed on a propagator

Many thanks

Anthonyjb

[Bigmallly]

Keep them closed until the seeds have germinated then open them.

[Two_Sheds]

If they get condensation, open them up, or wipe them clean.
Just imagine yerself in an 80s plastic cagoule (sweaty) ... that's how your plants feel in a steamy propagator

[Bigmallly]

If they get condensation, open them up, or wipe them clean.
Just imagine yerself in an 80s plastic cagoule (sweaty) ... that's how your plants feel in a steamy propagator

Is that prior to germination TS? I find condensation helps keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate.

[Two_Sheds]

Well I sit the seed trays (modules) into a bit of water for 5 mins before they go in the prop, so they are damp enough.

Then I lift the trays now & again, and if light (dry), they go back in a tray of warm water.

I firmly believe that water should be near the plant's roots, not around it's hairline

Moist air isn't useful when plants* drink from their roots, and it just encourages mould



* I'm generalising, with respect to the UK's common veg plants. Obviously there are plants from other climates that DO like steamy conditions

[Bigmallly]

Ok, so your talking post germination.

[Alison]

Ok, so your talking post germination.

I get my seedlings out as soon as they germinate, never leave plants in a propagator although do sometimes leave them with bottom heat and no cover.

[kathyd]

So just to be nit-picky... do you take them out when the first seed in a pot or tray germinates, or the last one? 'Cos there's often quite a long time between them!

[Penellype]

I have a propagator (with the ability to heat, but I don't use that at the moment) which I use for germination. The light levels are very low as its not in the window, so I use the criterion that as soon as some seed leaves have opened the tray or pot is moved into the grow light garden to stop the plants from becoming leggy. The reason I don't use the heat is that I don't want the tiny seedlings to have too big a shock so early in life, as there is no way of heating the grow light garden. If the plants can't germinate and survive in a heated room then I am sowing them too early.

[Alison]

So just to be nit-picky... do you take them out when the first seed in a pot or tray germinates, or the last one? 'Cos there's often quite a long time between them!

The things I put in the heated propagator (chillies, peppers, aubergines) are sown 1 per teeny little pot so I can remove when each one germinates. I find trays or larger pots to restrictive as I can't have this freedom.

[Bigmallly]

So just to be nit-picky... do you take them out when the first seed in a pot or tray germinates, or the last one? 'Cos there's often quite a long time between them!

I have found that a pot/tray of the same seed generally germinate at the same time within a day or two.

[Alison]

I have found that a pot/tray of the same seed generally germinate at the same time within a day or two.

Some chillies don't, especially the slow germinating types, can be a couple of weeks apart at times.

[Kristen]

So just to be nit-picky... do you take them out when the first seed in a pot or tray germinates, or the last one? 'Cos there's often quite a long time between them!

With bottom heat I find all germinate at once (assuming all the same variety - if I mix up different seeds in the same tray then they are variable ... but that's my lookout!)

I prefer to make sure the soil is at the correct moisture before putting it in the trays - I mix it in a bowl with some water until the right moisture content. Squeeze into a ball in your fist, definitely no water should come out, it should stick together but break cleanly in two when "snapped"; if it won't stay together its too dry.

I prefer that to standing in water for a bit as I think that soaks the soil and expels air and is harder to judge just how wet the soil has become.

Having said that, I would class most veg seed as "easy" and will tolerate a huge range of conditions; some of the ornamental seed I grow needs a "false autumn & winter", so has to have warm, fridge, then warm again to germinate, lots of seed germinates at different times (genetically, by design, to maximise the chance that some grows when the weather is "right"), and some takes more than a year to germinate ... thank goodness veg. seed isn't like that!

I cover the seed trays with a clear plastic propagator lid thingie, and I don't open it at all until germination. Any condensation runs down back into the tray / compost, so keeps the soil at the original moisture. All the veg I grow germinate promptly, so this works fine. For ornamentals that take longer to germinate I put them in zip-lock bags so that there are no air gaps, no drainage holes for water to escape from and so on, and thus the overall moisture inside the bag remains correct for months, if necessary. Even with a zip-lock bag there is still some loss so for things that take even longer I top up the water once-in-a-while - perhaps every 3 - 6 months.

[Martin H]

I prefer to make sure the soil is at the correct moisture before putting it in the trays - I mix it in a bowl with some water until the right moisture content. Squeeze into a ball in your fist, definitely no water should come out, it should stick together but break cleanly in two when "snapped"; if it won't stay together its too dry.

Cheers, sounds like a great tip, Kristen! I'm going to try it. I do struggle to get modern composts moist but not soaking.

[Kristen]

For seeds I use soil based John Innes Seed compost. Very fine / sandy and easy to prick out. Folk say they are difficult to keep moist after germination, not a problem I've had but something to beware of. (I reuse mine, dampen thoroughly and then microwave for 10 minutes and leave (for hours) to cool; risk that ungerminated seeds from previous crops spring up amongst the new seeds though ... if I get any disease v. rare] I chuck the compost rather than reuse)

For general potting I mix in 10% (by volume) of perlite (fine potting grade, not rough hydroponic grade) which I find makes a huge difference, and keeps the compost open preventing the sort of compaction you get through regular watering etc. But ... it does mean that at potting on, or planting out, the rootball may not hold together as well as those with 100% MPC.