Grow Your Own Magazine

The title says it all. I'm currently using an unheated propagator. I'm trying to grow spring durham early cabbage. The seeds have been in the propagator for 6 days now, ive noticed ive got white fur growng on top of the soil. Should i throw it away. Ive started to grow in individual cells. Im new to all this and thought id have a go at growing from seed. Are the heated propagators any use . Please advise on both counts. Thankyou.

Hi Megans-mum,
White fur on the top of compost would suggest to me that the compost is too wet and too warm. Throw it away!!!!!!! The seeds will have rotted anyway.

Heated propagators are difficult to use I find. Getting the heat and moisture right needs practise. I just use a warm environment in the house in spring and after that I sow in the plot and it seems to work. I have been gardening for years and like you in the beginning I lost loads of plants by too much TLC. Grow them hard and you will have much better plants and crops.

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Gardening requires a lot of water - most of it in the form of perspiration. Lou Erickson, critic and poet

It is still warm in September ... you don't need to be using a propagator. It will just trap warm air and moisture inside, leading to mould growths.

Cabbage is a tough old thing, it can germinate at very low temps. Just sow it outside into damp (not sopping) compost and ignore it for a while.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Thanks for the advice two sheds. will do.

Thanks for the advice.