I put my seed trays/ seedling in the boiler cupboard overnight. Keeps the soil warm and when you take them out in the morning and se germination it's a great start to the day!
No offence @andybfc5, but there's more to it than that. I appreciate how lovely it is to see seeds germinate, but then what? You have to have the means to grow them on, and then weather/soil conditions need to be suitable to plant out.
If they're seedlings which are going to be kept undercover it's not a problem, otherwise, it can be largely pointless
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My only concern was that we get so many people asking about early seed sowing, and they don't have the facilities to grow them on, which leads to the inevitable failure, and they have to redo it. In gardening, patience is usually the hardest thing to cultivate.
Can't beat seeing those tiny little shoots appear though, can you?
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Just read all the new posts and wanted to update everyone. I placed several propagators on a sunny window sil by a radiator. I've had great results with the teasels and also, cosmos, sweet peas, various ornamental grasses and verbena, so I'm really pleased. I've potted some on and I'll do the rest once big enough. I'll then fill window sils until it's a little warmer to start hardening them off outside in the greenhouse. So no money spent on a heated system, I'll just need to order a few more little pots!! I wasn't expecting such success!
Glad it's worked well for you @polb. It all comes down to the room, and the conditions, you have, and how much time and energy you have to spend on it, as well as what you want to grow.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I have the same one as you Dove and a version that has 3 larger trays haven't felt the need for a thermostat. They are on the window sill in the conservatory which is quite cold at this time of the year. I also use grow lights which I put over them to give them about 3 extra hours of daylight per day. Once they have germinated I move them to unheated self watering trays and have grow lights over them. I then pot them on and when they get to a reasonable size I move them into a frost free greenhouse. I've had good success rates using this method.
I think you have to "suck it and see" approach. Lots of the seeds say germinate at between 20-25, I do have a heated propogater, but have found the window sills, with the narrow unheated, window sill propogaters work just as well. I start seeds off early, January, usually, kitchen window sill, which at present has 2 different peppers,tomatoes,aubergines. They dont look very pretty, especially as I have a bunglow and my bedroom window is on full view to the road. Once the plants are big enough to pot on, they are off to the greenhouse. I have Terry Walttons allotment book, he germinates seeds in the dark in his airing cupboard.
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I appreciate how lovely it is to see seeds germinate, but then what? You have to have the means to grow them on, and then weather/soil conditions need to be suitable to plant out.
If they're seedlings which are going to be kept undercover it's not a problem, otherwise, it can be largely pointless
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My only concern was that we get so many people asking about early seed sowing, and they don't have the facilities to grow them on, which leads to the inevitable failure, and they have to redo it.
In gardening, patience is usually the hardest thing to cultivate.
Can't beat seeing those tiny little shoots appear though, can you?
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It all comes down to the room, and the conditions, you have, and how much time and energy you have to spend on it, as well as what you want to grow.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...