"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
Up till now I have always taken cuttings and used three large wooden
boxes filled with either sharp sand and a bit of compost or a bit of
compost and vermiculite. Most cuttings I take are of shrubs, trees or
hardy plants. I grow an inordinate amount of cuttings taken from
friend's gardens and also vegetables. I don't heat the greenhouse but
give the cuttings some cover in the worst winter weather.

I have just treated myself to a plunge bed complete with soil warming
cable and a long heated propagator/shelf which takes four full sized
see d trays.
Both are now ensconced in my greenhouse awaiting further developments.

Trouble is, having made do for so many years I am not sure of the best
way to use the new equipment! Both have thermostats on.
Do I plunge cuttings direct into sand or use pots and plunge them? Do I
use the covered propagators and germinate vegetable seedlings or bring
on cuttings?

Be glad of advice from the more experienced so that I don't waste all
this new lovely stuff

Janet

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk
I presume your old beds were outside the greenhouse?
Anyway, I prefer separate pots sitting on the heat as its more flexible (I
still use clear fruit punnets as you can see when things are rooting) but I
know folk who insert direct into the bed. The main thing you will find is
adjusting to the watering requirements, heated beds dry out far more than
ordinary plunge beds.
I also find a covering of thin white polythene really good for cutting out
sun scorch.
Sounds like you are going to have a busy season :~)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)