Practical matters of a propagator.

[Ricard with an H]

If I spent £100 on a propagator I would still bump into the problems of not enough light, particularly if it wasn't placed in a greenhouse. Right ?

So would this temperature controlled devise give me much benefit over propagating my seedlings in the upstairs of my 'Shed' under the velux windows facing south, I can keep the night temperatures above 10 degrees mostly.

[peter]

I use one in my unheated greenhouse to achieve conditions similar to your "shed".

So I'd say you needn't bother.

[Westi]

Hi Richard

You could get a grow light if you were concerned. I have a small one for going above the plants in the propagator as I have it on a shelf in the back room in front of the window. It's not through lack of light but the plants do lean toward the natural light by instinct & it saves me having to rotate the pots quite as frequently & is particularly useful when it's cloudy or the light is weak. It also lengthens the day so they get another couple of hours.

As soon as the natural light brightens, the sunlight wins every time regardless, but by then I've coaxed the precious ones to a suitable size to harden off anyway. Mine wasn't very expensive.

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks for both helpfull comments, I didn't think I could improve my 'Shed' propagation by just adding that gadget. In fact if I filled the stove so it burned another six hours rather than let it go out the night temperature might reach 15 degrees even at this time of year.

I'll make shelves that sit directly under the south facing Velux windows to gain a little more light, last years successes were down to me putting those seedlings out into a cold frame as soon as practicable rather that raising them into plants indoors.

A new idea is to place two inch Kingspan insulation on the floor of the cold frame or under the seedlings inside a mini poly tunnel.

Every year I add a small portion of limitless experience to my portfolio, the more experiences I have confidence to approach. I'm not sure this makes sense to you, I know what I'm trying to say and this gardening lark has been trying at a time of my life I'm supposed to be sitting on my experience.

[oldherbaceous]

Morning Richard, what you say makes full sense. We all take a different approach to the way gardening influences our thoughts, but at the end of the day, as long as we get some enjoyment out it, well, we can't really ask a lot more.

Now if you had a greenhouse....

[Ricard with an H]

Now if you had a greenhouse....

Well-yes, of-course.

Just as well I didn't place a greenhouse on the south facing wall of my shed because the high winds finally took their toll on my primary wood store. You have to build things with a lot of forethought here. Most of the polytunnels and greenhouses Ive seen around here are further inland and have more shelter that I have. Even my cold-frame lids have to be tied down or have scaffold boards laid over with bucks of water on the scaffold boards to stop them blowing away.

If I ever have a greenhouse I would have to build it myself because I couldn't possible afford the sort of structure that would survive, on a strong southerly our conservatory glazing moves in-and-out like a drum skin.

A fabulous place to live but you do have to learn to survive. No roof damage this year but all my ridges are screwed down with five inch stainless steel screws into the timber ridge-board. Belt-and-braces Eh.