Heated propagator

Evening all. There's been another impulse buy. This time a heated propagator. It was only a tenner.

Any suggestions for getting the best use out of it?

 

Apparently its 26cm by 19cm. 42cm diagonally it says on the box.

I have a plenty of windowsills for it to go on. I have a south facing one but that tends to get too warm once the warmer weather comes. It'd be ok now though.

 

I would agree with John. They are great for getting seeds to germinate. Most (but not all) seeds need a higher temperature to germinate after which they will continue to grow at a lower temperature as long as they get enough light.

 

What are the running costs of a propagator
Or
An undersoil cable 10' ?

Jack McH

 

Jack - I have a reasonably large double seed tray propagator that uses 22 watts. Its on for 14 hours a day on a time switch - ie 308 watt hours a day (22 * 14) or 0.308 Kwh (308/1000). My marginal cost of electricity is about 15p per Kwh so its about 4.6 pence per day (0.308 * 15).

Heating cables will come in different wattages per foot, but a 10 foot cable might be typically 40 watts - ie just under 10p per day.

 

If you like chillies start with them now

 

I leave my prop on 24 hours a day its Gardman 7 and only uses 13w , so 3p of your calc Peter. Is it better to turn off the prop for 8 hours to simulate day and night temperatures

My second batch of Chilli are in Poolcue , the first lot of Hungarian Wax have nearly fully germinated and can go into the grow box this weekend

 

Dunno the answer, but I leave mine on 24/7 during the sowing-season.

Bananas and some Palms need 35C for 9 hours and 18C the rest (or something like that), but I can't think of any others offhand.

Come the Spring I put mine on a timer when the days are warm, as the propagator isn't really achieving anything during the day, so that saves a few pennies.

 

I don't know the answer Harry. My propagator is inside my lightbox and they are both on the same time switch.

My gut feeling is that is does no harm to simulate nature with a cooler night and a warmer day. But then if it is inside the house, the house will cool off at night anyway taking the temperature of the propagator with it.

 

I raise my datura seeds in an old crock pot minus lid, filled with soil and turned to the lowest setting just to give them a jump start so they are nice and strong to plant out around June. I really grow them for their night blooming habit and perfume ,also that weird moth they attract,cant recall the name right now ,its almost the size of my hand.

 

Bloody hell Kernow thats huge, the most dangerous animal in the UK is a Hedgehog

 

People actually buy hedgehogs here and keep them as pets,now if that's not odd I don't know what is,course some one on the forum will have pet hedgehog's and I have just put my foot right in it. :DOH: