Grow Your Own Magazine

Whether or not to put the lid on your propagator.

Both pictures are of aubergine plants both started in the same heated propagator and then once germination had taken place the bottom one was removed from the covered propagator and put into and identical propagator but with the lid permanantly removed as you can see from the pictures the one that had the cover kept over it is a much larger plant than the other.

To make sure this wasnt just down to a one off, I did this with 6 plants and the result was the same for all of them.

They were all under a 600w metal halide grow lamp.

With lid


Without lid


Cheers Chris

Interesting, were they both in heated props, both on?

I've taken the lid off our heated prop during the day to allow extra sunlight, and to stop the compost getting too damp - yours doesn't need the extra light because of the lamp.

How much did the lamp cost, and how much to run?

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Hi Manda

Yes they were both switched on, so I can only assume that the difference is because of the extra heat in the covered one created by the lid keeping the heat in.

There isnt any heat from the lamp as I have a fan removing the heat just below the lamp but above the plants.

Paid £70 for the lamp off ebay with ballast and reflector, I believe they cost about £5 per week to run.

Cheers Chris

Have you noticed a similar difference in growth with any other seedlings? I ask cos aubs do like hot, humid conditions so might be particularly suited to your experiment?

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Had the same effect with strawberry rugen improved from seed, some covered some not and again the covered ones are a lot bigger.

What temps are the seedlings in the covered prop and the uncovered prop at? (Perhaps I should have waited for your finished 'article'! )

ps you've got too many 'toys' I wager!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

You could be right there, just bought another one as well 16 pod yieldmaster hydroponic gardening grow system on eBay, also Hydroponics, Plants Seeds Bulbs, Garden Plants, Home Garden (end time 21-Feb-08 11:25:09 GMT)



Dont know what temp but I will put a thermometer in to find out.

Looks like something out of Dr Who!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Very interesting experiment, it was to be expected, the results i mean. yet what a gorgeous strong baby with the covered propagator that has no sign of suffering from the lack of light. purely from a cost points of view, i wouldn't take the artificial lighting route unless someone can come up with solar powered equivalent .

i'm unable to leave my seedlings in the heated propagator (always covered) long once they germinate as they get too leggy but once out, they take a glacial time to grow which was to be to expected and i still have no regrets with early sowings as the purpose for me was to reduce high level of the sowings (workload and stress) in march and april.

it has also been useful to get acquainted with the patterns of germinations on various seed types that i would not have had the luxury of experimenting had i sowed later. mistakes that i have made have been so far valuable that i myself sometimes feel like i'm working in science lab .

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Food for Free

OK here are the temperature's

With cover: 33.4c (on floor of propagator)
With cover: 33.0c (on top of pots)

Without cover: 30.4c (on floor of propagator)
Without cover: 27.9c (on top of pots)

Cheers Chris

I think that's it's not a surprising result as aubergines, in my experience, like as much heat and light as you can give them.

I reckon you have the luckiest, most pampered aubergines I've met

Hi Cutecumber

your probably right, but thats not all im growing I also have several types of chilli plant, mammoth onions, mammoth leeks, strawbs, rosemary and tomato's

Cheers Chris

Ah well they are all very lucky, then

Sub-tropical!

Is that in your house?

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Just wondering, what nutrients are you going to use for your hydroponics? I've just fallen for the marketing around 'bat guano' and bought some Caveman 'rock bat guano'! For the chilli competion though, big jalapenos here we come!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."

Hi Manda

I am using coco grow, canna grow and canna bloom.

You growing coco & cannas too?

Ah well, then I have to tell you that what you want is bat poo it's the mutts nuts!

__________________
Manda.

"Wouldn't it be nice
For maybe an hour
To not have a care."