I have now got electricity to my cold greenhouse. I don't intend to do
much more heating than just above freezing but I would like to put in
some SERIOUS propagators or at least a soil warming cable to strike
cuttings and possibly start off seeds in spring.
I've looked through the web and stuff like Two Wests catalogue and I
need advice.
Do I
a) buy a very large or even two electric propagators which are going to
set me back about £200 or

b) put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly as I have been doing with two very large wooden boxes
up till now.

What does the team think? The greenhouse is an Alton cedar wood one.

I have two electric points

janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

The message
from Janet Tweedy contains these words:

Do I
a) buy a very large or even two electric propagators which are going to
set me back about £200 or

b) put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly as I have been doing with two very large wooden boxes
up till now.

What does the team think? The greenhouse is an Alton cedar wood one.

Before the days when charity shops had to be fussy about accepting
electrical goods (in the mid '60s IIRC) I bought a double electric
blanket, sealed it between two sheets of polythene with a home-made
thing made from an old electric iron (same provenance) with a polished
bar of steel welded to the bottom of the plate.

I bought a same-sized sheet of expanded polystyerine and slabs of it for
the sides (from a packaging firm we did deliveries for) and dug a hole,
planted the polystyerine, placed the blanket on top, filled hole with
about eighteen inches of soil and compost and built a frame over it all.

With an old central heating thermostat to keep the temperature sensible
I had cucumbers and tomatoes starting there in February. The cucumbers
stayed there and the tomatoes were planted out.

That worked without problems and without electrocuting anybody until the
frame rotted away.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Janet Tweedy wrote:

I have now got electricity to my cold greenhouse. I don't intend to do
much more heating than just above freezing but I would like to put in
some SERIOUS propagators or at least a soil warming cable to strike
cuttings and possibly start off seeds in spring.
I've looked through the web and stuff like Two Wests catalogue and I
need advice.
Do I
a) buy a very large or even two electric propagators which are going to
set me back about £200 or

b) put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly as I have been doing with two very large wooden boxes
up till now.

What does the team think? The greenhouse is an Alton cedar wood one.

I have two electric points


If you just want a bit of warmth to start stuff off and you aren;t going
to try anything that is 'too' fussy about exact temps, then I;d go for
the warming cables.. You can use these with a thermostat if you want
and the kit will cost you around 100 max.

/
J

Janet Tweedy wrote:

put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly

It depends on whether you want to pay somebody to fabricate the thing for
you. Sounds like you're already adept at striking cuttings, and you
certainly could build something a lot cheaper than buying. Some kind of
transparent cover would likely help, as would lining the bottom and sides
with polythene foam board conserve heat. I haven't had good luck with
heating cables in general; the built-in thermostat seems to go bad, so an
unregulated cable with outboard thermostat would probably be more reliable.
I use a rubber heating pad meant for warming seedlings to do the same
thing. I already had an electronic thermostat I'd built for film
processing, so I used it for control. Don't know if the plants care about
control to 0.1 degree F, but it gives me bragging rights.


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

Go for cable,
Try Kay's for price http://www.kayshorticulture.com/
and for your thermostat you may actually find B&Q are cheap


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

Jaques d'Altrades wrote:

That worked without problems and without electrocuting anybody until the
frame rotted away.

So who was electrocuted once the frame had rotted?
--
Nick Wagg

Janet Tweedy wrote:

I have now got electricity to my cold greenhouse. I don't intend to do
much more heating than just above freezing but I would like to put in
some SERIOUS propagators or at least a soil warming cable to strike
cuttings and possibly start off seeds in spring.
I've looked through the web and stuff like Two Wests catalogue and I
need advice.
Do I
a) buy a very large or even two electric propagators which are going to
set me back about £200 or

b) put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly as I have been doing with two very large wooden boxes
up till now.

What does the team think? The greenhouse is an Alton cedar wood one.

I have two electric points

For a rough construction heated prop with soil warming.

Make frame to desired size.
Lay insulator such as polystyrene.
Line with plastic.
Lay sand.
Lay cable
Add a wire mesh (to prevent any large items piercing the cable)
Top up with sand.

You might wish to add some sort of cover, side insulation and a
thermostat attached to the oudside.

Mind you for around 300 you can buy an all in mist prop bench so
consider you're needs carefully!-)

//
Jim

In article , Nick Wagg
writes
Jaques d'Altrades wrote:

That worked without problems and without electrocuting anybody until the
frame rotted away.

So who was electrocuted once the frame had rotted?

Oh bother, I was going to say that .............
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

"......,,...Mind you for around 300 you can buy an all in mist prop bench so
consider you're needs carefully!-)................

Never mind Mist think of Fog. uses less water

David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

The message
from Nick Wagg contains these words:
Jaques d'Altrades wrote:

That worked without problems and without electrocuting anybody until the
frame rotted away.

So who was electrocuted once the frame had rotted?

Hmmm. A wag(g), forsooth.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

The message
from Janet Tweedy contains these words:
In article , Nick Wagg
writes
Jaques d'Altrades wrote:

That worked without problems and without electrocuting anybody until the
frame rotted away.

So who was electrocuted once the frame had rotted?

Oh bother, I was going to say that .............

It's the Rays, you know. You should have been wearing your allyhat to
prevent them from doing something-or-mumble.

--
Rusty Hinge
horrid·squeak&zetnet·co·uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

In article , Gary Woods
writes
Janet Tweedy wrote:

put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly

It depends on whether you want to pay somebody to fabricate the thing for
you. Sounds like you're already adept at striking cuttings,


Just a few, as no doubt some of my fellow Urglers will vouch .



and you
certainly could build something a lot cheaper than buying. Some kind of
transparent cover would likely help, as would lining the bottom and sides
with polythene foam board conserve heat.


I don't find that covering cuttings helps a great deal, well not with
the plants I usually strike. It seems to encourage mould etc. They seem
to do well with fresh air and warm toes !


I haven't had good luck with
heating cables in general; the built-in thermostat seems to go bad, so an
unregulated cable with outboard thermostat would probably be more reliable.


Would that regulate the cable or give it a kick when the temperature in
the greenhouse gets low?


I use a rubber heating pad meant for warming seedlings to do the same
thing. I already had an electronic thermostat I'd built for film
processing, so I used it for control. Don't know if the plants care about
control to 0.1 degree F, but it gives me bragging rights.


Thanks for the information Gary, it sounds a good way to go.

Janet

--
Janet
Hedgerows & lawns
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk/plants

In article , Gary Woods
writes
Janet Tweedy wrote:

put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly

It depends on whether you want to pay somebody to fabricate the thing for
you. Sounds like you're already adept at striking cuttings,


Just a few, as no doubt some of my fellow Urglers will vouch .



and you
certainly could build something a lot cheaper than buying. Some kind of
transparent cover would likely help, as would lining the bottom and sides
with polythene foam board conserve heat.


I don't find that covering cuttings helps a great deal, well not with
the plants I usually strike. It seems to encourage mould etc. They seem
to do well with fresh air and warm toes !


I haven't had good luck with
heating cables in general; the built-in thermostat seems to go bad, so an
unregulated cable with outboard thermostat would probably be more reliable.


Would that regulate the cable or give it a kick when the temperature in
the greenhouse gets low?


I use a rubber heating pad meant for warming seedlings to do the same
thing. I already had an electronic thermostat I'd built for film
processing, so I used it for control. Don't know if the plants care about
control to 0.1 degree F, but it gives me bragging rights.


Thanks for the information Gary, it sounds a good way to go.

Janet

--
Janet
Hedgerows & lawns
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk/plants

In article , Gary Woods
writes
Janet Tweedy wrote:

put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly

It depends on whether you want to pay somebody to fabricate the thing for
you. Sounds like you're already adept at striking cuttings,


Just a few, as no doubt some of my fellow Urglers will vouch .



and you
certainly could build something a lot cheaper than buying. Some kind of
transparent cover would likely help, as would lining the bottom and sides
with polythene foam board conserve heat.


I don't find that covering cuttings helps a great deal, well not with
the plants I usually strike. It seems to encourage mould etc. They seem
to do well with fresh air and warm toes !


I haven't had good luck with
heating cables in general; the built-in thermostat seems to go bad, so an
unregulated cable with outboard thermostat would probably be more reliable.


Would that regulate the cable or give it a kick when the temperature in
the greenhouse gets low?


I use a rubber heating pad meant for warming seedlings to do the same
thing. I already had an electronic thermostat I'd built for film
processing, so I used it for control. Don't know if the plants care about
control to 0.1 degree F, but it gives me bragging rights.


Thanks for the information Gary, it sounds a good way to go.

Janet

--
Janet
Hedgerows & lawns
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk/plants

In article , Gary Woods
writes
Janet Tweedy wrote:

put in one of those large metal potting trays/stands then put in a
soil warming cable and fill with sharp sand and compost so I can strike
cuttings directly

It depends on whether you want to pay somebody to fabricate the thing for
you. Sounds like you're already adept at striking cuttings,


Just a few, as no doubt some of my fellow Urglers will vouch .



and you
certainly could build something a lot cheaper than buying. Some kind of
transparent cover would likely help, as would lining the bottom and sides
with polythene foam board conserve heat.


I don't find that covering cuttings helps a great deal, well not with
the plants I usually strike. It seems to encourage mould etc. They seem
to do well with fresh air and warm toes !


I haven't had good luck with
heating cables in general; the built-in thermostat seems to go bad, so an
unregulated cable with outboard thermostat would probably be more reliable.


Would that regulate the cable or give it a kick when the temperature in
the greenhouse gets low?


I use a rubber heating pad meant for warming seedlings to do the same
thing. I already had an electronic thermostat I'd built for film
processing, so I used it for control. Don't know if the plants care about
control to 0.1 degree F, but it gives me bragging rights.


Thanks for the information Gary, it sounds a good way to go.

Janet

--
Janet
Hedgerows & lawns
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk/plants