Heated Propagator

[Granny]

I recently bought my first heated propagator and have sown tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and cucumbers. They are all up, so what do I do now? Do I leave them there for a bit or transfer them to individual pots (they are in small cells at the moment). Do I put them in my unheated greenhouse yet or just switch off the heat and leave them where they are near a window? So many options I don't know what to do!
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Granny

[bigpepperplant]

I'd probably wait till they have their first true leaves then transplant to 3 inch pots and leave them on the windowsill out of the propagator. Then move them to the unheated greenhouse in about a month.

[richard p]

i move stuff out of the propogater within 24 hours of emergence, to the conservatory windowsil. after they are up the seedlings need good light levels otherwise they shoot upwards looking for the light and end up falling over cos they are too thin. i plant all my seeds in yeo valley individual yogurt pots, they stay in thse for several weeks before being transferred to 3 inch pots

[bigpepperplant]

doh, yes, sorry, what I meant to say was I'd take them out of the heated propagator straight away and move them to a windowsill but to wait until they have their first true leaves before transplanting to 3-inch pots.

[Malk]

thanks for asking Granny, I was wondering myself. Guess I've left stuff in too long, but will wheek them out the now and gets some new stuff in. Hurrah more planting.

[Primrose]

I think the others are right, i.e. to remove the seedlings as soon as they have emerged. I once had a large heated propagator which I kept on my lounge bay window shelf and for two years in succession I left the seedlings in it for too long and they became leggy and weak. So much so, that after two years I decided the propagator was more nuisance than it was worth and disposed of it and I've managed quite satisfactorily without one ever since just letting seeds germinate on the shelf in a warm room. But I'd also wait until you have some proper leaves before attempting to transplant to their individual pots.

[Granny]

Thanks a lot for the replies. My propagator didn't come with helpful instructions for actually growing things, so that's really useful.
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Granny

[dewwex]

I have a 2 'bio-green jumbo' propagators which i have installed in glass house. they cost about 150 euro each.

this is basically a heatmat with varible temperature control. with a polytunnel like frame.

For all my plants that like heat, ie tomatoes , peppers, i set up to run at 20 c. But when they germinate i don't remove plants. over time i reduce the temp to 16 c and leave plants on propagator till planting out into green house bed. which is mid may.

i live in southern ireland.
the reason i leave them on the propagator is to give the plants frost/cold protection. i get very satisfactory results, and its so hassle free.

Aubergines seemingly don't like under 16 c, tomatos can go down to 12 c.

i highly recommend the 'jumbo propagator. the trouble with other propagators is usually:
1)they are too small to grow plants on. say you growing tomatos. yes you can germinate, but where are you going to grow on? growing inside ones house is not usually satisfactory unless you have a conservatory or a big south facing window. you can put on glasshouse bench, but what do you do at night? when temperatures drop or freeze? too much of a headache for me.

2)cheaper non-varible propagators generally can run a bit to hot . 25 c. these propagators can only be used for germination of hot plants. they can cause leggyness for other vegetables. ie brassicas. i have one of these, but rarely find myself using it, too fiddly. though i will use it for my cucumbers, they like to be kept above 21c seemingly.

So what do i do with my other veg, ie brassics, lettuce etc.
firstly i shade my other jumbo propagator with cardboard to reduce day time temperatures. i set to run from 13 c or 16 c. As soon as seedlings have germinated i usually transfer to glass house bench, in light, since lettuces and brassicas can withstand low night temperatures. there are a few other plants i might or do leave on. ie chinese cabbage, sweetcorn, french beans. of course i remove cardboard shading!

One of the great advantages of this set up, is that i can, if i wish, leave doors open in glasshouse at night. thus my glasshouse is well ventilated, plus the daytime temperatures are reduced in glass house also, no fear of glass house getting too hot!

In april i might put up fleece on glasshouse glass behind propagator to reduce temp at mid day by a few degrees.

All in all i am very happy with this set up. i firmly believe in taking the hassle out of gardening by using automation as much as possible, your plants will do better, and one will enjoy gardening more!

I have a polytunnel as well. and if you were to ask me to give up either the polytunnel or glasshouse or jumbo propagator, it would have be the glasshouse before the jumbo! thats how much in value the jumbo!

[dewwex]

In reply to primrose. one of the draw backs of a propagotor on the windowsil, is that during mid-day on a sunny day, the actual tempetures within the propagator can reach 40 c quite easily. this could be a reason for leggyness!

Even though i have a well ventilated glasshouse. (last night we had frosts here, i had every vent open and door wide open in glasshouse, but temp in biogreen was 18 c at lowest point during the night. it was -2c inside the glasshouse). i put up fleece on window in april. i would say it reduces midday temp by 4 degrees on avarage.