Propagator & Greenhouse Ideas.

These ideas may be elsewhere, but I have not seen them.

1) Setting the heated propagator on bubble wrap can increase the internal temperature by about 1C°.

2) To cheaply control the temperature in an electrically heated propagator (one not fitted with a Temp. control) the following idea may be useful.
Use a 24 hour timer with 96 toggles (4 per hour) i.e. not one with pegs, as there are not usually enough.
The temperature is controlled by setting say, 15 min OFF and 45 min ON, for every hour. There is normally enough thermal inertia in the compost to give an almost even temperature. This would give 75% of normal power. (15 min. ON & 15 min. OFF would give 50% power) Other ratios may be employed as required
Reducing the ON to OFF ratio during daytime hours, when the outside temp is higher could give a more even temperature (if that is required).

3) Another idea, - an improvement on one given by Alan Titchmarsh in a Sunday newspaper, a few years ago.
He suggested putting down the tomato Grow bags early, in the greenhouse and to use them to grow early salads.
If before sowing, empty flowerpots (say 3â?) are inserted where the tomatoes are intended to go, the tomatoes can then be planted without disturbing the salad, which can then continue growing until the tomatoes are quite big.
PS if this is in the wrong section, perhaps someone will move it or delete it!