Hi,

Last year I promised myself I would grow some fruits/vegetables next year
and true to my word, last weekend I went and purchased some Tomato,
Sweetcorn, Runner Beans and a few other packets of seeds.

Also some Seed and Cutting compost plus "Peat Pots" - as I liked the idea
that you sow the seed within the pot, and then when it comes to re-potting
you plant out the complete pot - as in the past when re-potting young plants
they always seemed to die on me.

So I thought I was ready come Feb when the Tomatoes need to be sowed, and
the rest is around March/April time. But then I started reading about
propagators. I plan to sow all the seeds inside first, the room I plan on
using has lots of natural light, but of a night (in the early months of the
year) the room can be quite cold once all the heating goes off (although I
doubt it drops to below 19c, but not sure).

So I think a heater propagator would be a good purchase, looking at them in
my local B&Q all they seem to be is a unit which is heated and contains 2 or
more seed trays. Do you have to sow all the seeds in the tray, as I would
be worried when it comes to re-potting, although some come with cells which
I guess would be easier to use.

Although B&Q do a propagator which is 57cm by 38cm, so if I took out the
trays I think I could fit in a number of those "peat pots" I purchased,
which will make my life even easier (the brand is Growarm).

So getting to the point, I am concerned about re-potting my plants, so I am
looking for the best kind of pots or trays I should use to make things easy
plus give my plants the best chance.

Thanks!

Graeme

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 02:36:09 -0000, "Graeme"
wrote:

~Hi,
~
~Last year I promised myself I would grow some fruits/vegetables next year
~and true to my word, last weekend I went and purchased some Tomato,
~Sweetcorn, Runner Beans and a few other packets of seeds.
~
~Also some Seed and Cutting compost plus "Peat Pots" - as I liked the idea
~that you sow the seed within the pot, and then when it comes to re-potting
~you plant out the complete pot - as in the past when re-potting young plants
~they always seemed to die on me.

Peat pots are fine, except you need to soak them before initial
planting and make sure they stay wet, or they turn to cardboard... I
found putting them in normal plant pots stopped them drying out too
much. Then you can fish them out and put in the ground.

Some plants prefer not to have the root disturbance, some actually
produce better systems if they are transplanted. Sweetcorn are
disturbance haters, and were what I grew in the peat pots. Things like
brassicas like to be transplanted.

~So I thought I was ready come Feb when the Tomatoes need to be sowed, and
~the rest is around March/April time. But then I started reading about
~propagators. I plan to sow all the seeds inside first, the room I plan on
~using has lots of natural light, but of a night (in the early months of the
~year) the room can be quite cold once all the heating goes off (although I
~doubt it drops to below 19c, but not sure).
~
~So I think a heater propagator would be a good purchase, looking at them in
~my local B&Q all they seem to be is a unit which is heated and contains 2 or
~more seed trays. Do you have to sow all the seeds in the tray, as I would
~be worried when it comes to re-potting, although some come with cells which
~I guess would be easier to use.

As I said in the trip to Woolies thread, I bought the really cheap
one. If you look around in B&Q, they sell Sankey propagators with
trays, lids etc. and capillary matting. They also sell (or did last
year) a small one in a plain box, no pictures, looking like country
cousin. It's identical - except you don't spend XX pounds on trays
which most gardeners have already. This sounds a better bet for you as
all you need is the base unit and a clear domed lid (I think it came
with one) and you put whatever inside. Matting's cheap to buy if you
need it.

I have moved away from peat pots and bought rootrainers instead,
having been recommended to get them by fellow allotment holders, as
the peat pots didn't seem to encourage the deep root runs the beans
and corn liked. I had much better looking plants in the rootrainers,
even after I'd fished them out of the propagator. And because you open
them sideways, the roots aren't damaged when you plant out. And a pack
of the things fits perfectly in my propagator!

~Although B&Q do a propagator which is 57cm by 38cm, so if I took out the
~trays I think I could fit in a number of those "peat pots" I purchased,
~which will make my life even easier (the brand is Growarm).

This is a rather bigger one than I bought! Mine's only a standard tray
in size.

Things germinate reasonably rapidly - and if you leave them in the
heated area, they grow very leggy very quickly, so it's best to whip
them out once the batch have all poked through, and grow them on in
cooler conditions. With a bit of shuffling, you may find you don't
need the bigger one unless you're growing a *lot*. I staggered my
French beans by a week, and had no real differences in harvest times.
Admittedly I do not grow many flowers - if I did, I'd need more room.
(Dad does those - then we swap

~So getting to the point, I am concerned about re-potting my plants, so I am
~looking for the best kind of pots or trays I should use to make things easy
~plus give my plants the best chance.
~

Course the other advantage of rootrainers over peat pots is they are
reusable! So cost less in the long term if you're careful not to crack
them.

Others of course may have different experiences to me, but so far, so
good here.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

"Martin Sykes" wrote in message
...
You can use just about anything in a heated propagator. The only problem
with using pots is the extra height they take up. If the only worry is the
repotting, try the plug trays which are essentially just a lot of little
pots stuck together. Mine is a small propagator ( possible sankey? ) which
came with two small seed trays but also fits a single larger plug tray (
about A4 size ). Others have said that its not a good idea to apply bottom
heat at this time of year as although your room may appear light, it's
probably not as light as you think so applying bottom heat and low light
will give you straggly plants. It may be better to apply heat to get them
to
germinate, then move them immediatly out onto the windowsill to grow more
slowly.

Thanks. My plan was just to wait until they start coming though and then
moving them out of the propagator and placing them around the house so they
all get a good position for the light, until the time is right for them to
go outside.

Graeme

"jane" wrote in message
...
I have moved away from peat pots and bought rootrainers instead,
having been recommended to get them by fellow allotment holders, as
the peat pots didn't seem to encourage the deep root runs the beans
and corn liked. I had much better looking plants in the rootrainers,
even after I'd fished them out of the propagator. And because you open
them sideways, the roots aren't damaged when you plant out. And a pack
of the things fits perfectly in my propagator!

Thanks - next time I am at B&Q this week I will see if they have any in.
Are they generally in a complete tray, or is each cell separate to the rest?
Because if I have a tray of say 10-20 cells, and they start coming up at
different times, then I won't be able to remove them from the propagator
individually (I would have to remove the whole tray).

Although, if anything they should all come though at around the same time
maybe (if they are the same type of seed of course).

Graeme

"Graeme" wrote in message
...

Although, if anything they should all come though at around the same time
maybe (if they are the same type of seed of course).

:-))

One of the worst I've seen is various lillies listed as between 30 and 365
days for germination.

Martin

Graeme wrote:


Thanks. My plan was just to wait until they start coming though and then
moving them out of the propagator and placing them around the house so they
all get a good position for the light, until the time is right for them to
go outside.

That's fine, if you need to cool things off they take less of a check if you do
it as soon as they've germinated. Be selective about what you put in the
propagator. Hardy veg like brassicas I'd sow in plug trays on a windowsill.
Things like Tomatoes, peppers etc you will waste space if you do them in plug
trays, just sow those in something like small margerine tubs and prick them out
into small pots or plugs after you've weaned them from the propagator. Lettuce
don't like to be hot so again use plug trays on the windowsill. Sweet corn -
your room will be warm enough to do those on the windowsill when it's time to
put those in. Beans likewise. Broad beans sow outside the moment the soil is
dry enough to make a seedbed. Early peas you can do in lengths of plastic
guttering if your window sills are big enough. Don't be in too much of a hurry
to do any of this otherwise you will have loads of plants needing to be spaced
out and moved on while it's still too cold outside.

--
Rod
http://website.lineone.net/%7Erodcraddock/index.html
My email address needs weeding.

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 14:37:48 -0000, "Graeme"
wrote:

~
~"jane" wrote in message
...
~ I have moved away from peat pots and bought rootrainers instead,
~ having been recommended to get them by fellow allotment holders, as
~ the peat pots didn't seem to encourage the deep root runs the beans
~ and corn liked. I had much better looking plants in the rootrainers,
~ even after I'd fished them out of the propagator. And because you open
~ them sideways, the roots aren't damaged when you plant out. And a pack
~ of the things fits perfectly in my propagator!
~
~Thanks - next time I am at B&Q this week I will see if they have any in.
~Are they generally in a complete tray, or is each cell separate to the rest?
~Because if I have a tray of say 10-20 cells, and they start coming up at
~different times, then I won't be able to remove them from the propagator
~individually (I would have to remove the whole tray).
~
~Although, if anything they should all come though at around the same time
~maybe (if they are the same type of seed of course).
~
~Graeme
~

They come in strips of 4, each the width of a seed tray. I think I got
eight rows in, so 32 cells. Rather like module inserts, except a heck
of a lot taller. You can therefore mix and match strips.

googles
obvious url! http://www.rootrainers.co.uk/supplies/rootrainers

I have the 5" ones.

I forgot to say - they come with a frame to stop them falling over and
a plastic cover, which can be used as a drip tray as plants stop
needing it as a cover. Round about now, there are sales in garden
centres, which is how I got a double pack for 8 quid...

As usual they are costly for pieces of plastic less substantial than
half the packaging you get these days, but they're easy to clean and
store (just stack them, open) and hopefully will last.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

On Wed, 14 Jan 2004 14:37:48 -0000, "Graeme"
wrote:

~
~"jane" wrote in message
...
~ I have moved away from peat pots and bought rootrainers instead,
~ having been recommended to get them by fellow allotment holders, as
~ the peat pots didn't seem to encourage the deep root runs the beans
~ and corn liked. I had much better looking plants in the rootrainers,
~ even after I'd fished them out of the propagator. And because you open
~ them sideways, the roots aren't damaged when you plant out. And a pack
~ of the things fits perfectly in my propagator!
~
~Thanks - next time I am at B&Q this week I will see if they have any in.
~Are they generally in a complete tray, or is each cell separate to the rest?
~Because if I have a tray of say 10-20 cells, and they start coming up at
~different times, then I won't be able to remove them from the propagator
~individually (I would have to remove the whole tray).
~
~Although, if anything they should all come though at around the same time
~maybe (if they are the same type of seed of course).
~
~Graeme
~

They come in strips of 4, each the width of a seed tray. I think I got
eight rows in, so 32 cells. Rather like module inserts, except a heck
of a lot taller. You can therefore mix and match strips.

googles
obvious url! http://www.rootrainers.co.uk/supplies/rootrainers

I have the 5" ones.

I forgot to say - they come with a frame to stop them falling over and
a plastic cover, which can be used as a drip tray as plants stop
needing it as a cover. Round about now, there are sales in garden
centres, which is how I got a double pack for 8 quid...

As usual they are costly for pieces of plastic less substantial than
half the packaging you get these days, but they're easy to clean and
store (just stack them, open) and hopefully will last.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!