Vermiculite Bench Propagators.

Over the last couple of years I have read or seen that some people are changing their bench propagators, keeping the soil warming cable but switching out the sand for vermiculite. Anybody here have experience of this new setup?

Steve...

 

Hi,

Used to keep mine covered with sand many years ago, but these days just lay it on to the bench top and put the trays/pots between or over the cable , seems to work fine.
The main reason I stopped using sand was damping off due too high a humidity etc

Have a 25mm layer of polystyrene sheet under the cable so heats not lost that way.

Never crossed my mind to use Vermiculite, wonder if it insulates things too much ?

Also wonder what happens with any small heavy pots, do they sink into it ?

 

I don't think vermiculite would work for me. The wind through the tunnel would blow the vermiculite away (I think).

Sand in my heated bench needs to be wet or it doesn't conduct the heat. will vermiculite be a good conductor ?

 

Polystyrene sheets worked for me.

 

What a beautiful cat shiney.

 

I seem to remember many years ago the manufacturer of my cable stated damp sand, rather than dry sand or vermiculite.
You can overheat the cable and burn it out is the way it was described to me.
Still use my old cable well over 20yrs old.

Newer ones might be different, I dont know.