Garden innovations - heated propagators

Although some people think that propagation is complicated, there is nothing mysterious about it. Seeds and cuttings need three things to thrive; heat, light and moisture. By sowing seeds or raising cuttings in a propagator rather than waiting for the soil to warm up you can get a head start on the season and utilise technology to your advantage.

The first thing to consider is heat. Different plants need different heat levels from 18°C for basil to 35°C for a banana plant, but most like to be between 20°C to 22°C. To make sure you get the best results this heat must be constant - seeds and cuttings can't cope with fluctuations in temperature. A heated propagator with a variable control is the easiest way to achieve the desired temperature and they provide heat to the bottom of the plants, which helps to get the best results. If you want to propagate in a greenhouse it is also more cost effective to use a heated propagator than to heat an entire greenhouse.

Equally, small collections of tender plants and rooted cuttings can be over-wintered in a heated propagator, which is once again much cheaper to run than heating an entire greenhouse.

Greenhouse pests can cause problems as the heat and protection in a greenhouse makes conditions ideal - and in a heated propagator such pests can destroy a seed crop or collection of cuttings pretty well overnight, so you need to implement good hygiene. Control pests by removing dead leaves and plants and cleaning away any debris that pests can hide in. Water plants in the morning so they are not left wet overnight - damp, cool air encourages the spread of fungal diseases.

Garden innovation greenhouse photograph by sa_ku_ra, used under a creative commons attribution licence.