Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

buying a propagator

Collapse

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • buying a propagator

    Hi all, with being new to the whole GYO scene im looking to buy a propagator or a few
    they cant be electric what would you recommend.

    Nothing expensive, doing this all on a low budget

    Thanks in advance

  • #2
    Originally posted by RossAllan View Post
    Nothing expensive, doing this all on a low budget
    Airing cupboard or top-of-fridge
    K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

    Comment


    • #3
      What do you want to germinate?
      if you don't want to buy an electric one, tupperware boxes work just as well, or trays with a piece of glass, plastic or cling film over the top.

      Comment


      • #4
        The trouble with inexpensive is that the end results can be rather expensive in terms of losses..or lack of space.

        I have a 30 year old 0.75 meter long Ward with thermostat. The thermostat malfunctions but it does not overheat.

        I also have a cheapie Stewart 50cm with no thermostat. I have to open it up on warm days otherwise it cooks the seedlings: and it is only big enough for 1 full size and two small seed trays... Basically it's not big enough and I should have spent the extra £20 for a thermostat one.

        Some are also unreliable...read the multitude of posts on this site and the Amazon reviews (only the bad reviews of course).

        If I had the money (I do not) or the inclination I'd buy a Vitopod...http://tinyurl.com/739zveg
        Last edited by Madasafish; 23-03-2015, 04:36 PM.

        Comment


        • #5
          Go to the cheapest shop you can find and buy 300 very poor quality freezer bags for £1. Put said bag over each pot you sow and you have a home-made propagator.

          Whilst I have various propagators - electrical, and non-electric, I still use the old bag over a pot method.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Valleyman View Post
            Whilst I have various propagators - electrical, and non-electric, I still use the old bag over a pot method.
            Me too I then just put the pot & bag somewhere warm enough (not everything needs a lot of heat of course, but we are lucky to have a boiler room for those things that do)
            K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

            Comment


            • #7
              If you don't want to use electric you might just as well use placcy bags.

              Or Wilko do plastic covers for most sizes of their seed trays, which are cheap but last a few years if treated well

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Scarlet View Post
                What do you want to germinate?
                if you don't want to buy an electric one, tupperware boxes work just as well, or trays with a piece of glass, plastic or cling film over the top.
                I work in a picture framing factory so have endless amounts of glass at hand, sounds like a free way to me

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Valleyman View Post
                  Go to the cheapest shop you can find and buy 300 very poor quality freezer bags for £1. Put said bag over each pot you sow and you have a home-made propagator.

                  Whilst I have various propagators - electrical, and non-electric, I still use the old bag over a pot method.

                  Will need to give that a go, does any type of freezer bag work? I have some in the kitchen drawer

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Thelma Sanders View Post
                    If you don't want to use electric you might just as well use placcy bags.

                    Or Wilko do plastic covers for most sizes of their seed trays, which are cheap but last a few years if treated well

                    I seen them on either aldi or lidl the other week but never bought them. I really should of while I could

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Thanks everyone will give them a go and tell you how I get on

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by RossAllan View Post
                        I work in a picture framing factory so have endless amounts of glass at hand, sounds like a free way to me
                        Used to use glass, over a seed tray, before plastic was available. Sheet of glass over a seed tray means the seed can't grow upwards - it hits the glass - so plastic bag is better in that regard.

                        Some folk put 3 or 4 sticks / canes around the pot so that the plastic bag is clear of the plants as they grow, I've never found it necessary but I do make sure that the bag is fully puffed up, so to speak. If using very think plastic bags I expect they would "collapse" (onto pot / soil / plant), but the bags I use are quite a stiff plastic.
                        K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Kristen View Post
                          Used to use glass, over a seed tray, before plastic was available. Sheet of glass over a seed tray means the seed can't grow upwards - it hits the glass - so plastic bag is better in that regard.

                          Some folk put 3 or 4 sticks / canes around the pot so that the plastic bag is clear of the plants as they grow, I've never found it necessary but I do make sure that the bag is fully puffed up, so to speak. If using very think plastic bags I expect they would "collapse" (onto pot / soil / plant), but the bags I use are quite a stiff plastic.

                          Ahh I see where your coming from so pleat plastic bags are better then?

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by RossAllan View Post
                            pleat plastic bags
                            That sounds like exactly the right descriptive term
                            K's Garden blog the story of the creation of our garden

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Kristen View Post
                              That sounds like exactly the right descriptive term
                              Hahaha I ment cheap

                              Comment

                              Latest Topics

                              Collapse

                              Recent Blog Posts

                              Collapse
                              Working...
                              X