Heated propagator?

[Kitty Ballistic]

I'm wondering about getting a heated propagator for growing chilli plants, as last year's crop took a while to get going. The only windowsill we have is in the lounge, and that is the domain of our ornamental lazy cat collection. We do have a smallish greenhouse, but it's not heated either. I haven't found any heated propagators in the few garden centres I've visited, so I was thinking of ordering one online. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good online shop? It must ship to Europe, as I'm in Holland.

Alternatively, other suggestions for keeping chilli seedlings toasty would be appreciated. TIA.

[godfreyrob]

I love my propagators and I have used them for hatching chicks, raising bread as well as starting plants off!
I have 2, one with a thermostat and one without. Both are useful and to be honest the thermostatic one does not seem to get any better results.

A quick search shows garden4less.co.uk do a digital thermostatic one for £77 and free (UK) delivery - looks posh too.

A thing to remember is that propagators can keep to a set temperature only as long as the air temp is colder or the same as that required. If the sun shines onto it, they cannot cool themselves down, so you can cook things in them if its in direct sunlight.

[Kitty Ballistic]

I do have a couple of 'normal' propagators, but even in those, the chilli seeds seem to take a while to get themselves sorted. Maybe I'm just being impatient? I don't have a 'nice sunny windowsill' to put them on, so they end up either on a table near a window, or in the loft (where it's warm) with reasonable light from dormer windows.

It's only the chilli seeds I seem to bother about, everything else goes in the greenhouse and is left to fend for itself.

I would love to 'grow' chicks, but I don't think my neighbours/husbands/cats would be too impressed. Actually, the cats probably would be quite impressed - their very own snack vending machine.

[StripyPixieSocks]

Try Freecycle in your area, we got both of ours off of people on there, one huge one and a smaller one which I used for making yoghurt in :D

We even used to use the top of the fish tank to put things on as the heat from the light used to work as a kind of propagator... only useful if you have a fish tank though!

[Fatima]

Hi Kitty, oui c'est moi

Just had a couple of thoughts on your chilli seeds. On my chilli seed packets it normally says 100 days, whether that's a 100 days from seed to chilli or for a green shoot I'm not sure but they do take a while to show.

Other thought was, how about wrapping your propagator with bubble wrap which would add an extra layer of warmth. In fact, I'm so astounded at my brainwave I'm going to do that with my chilli seeds to keep them warm.

[Kitty Ballistic]

There's no Freecycle group near me - they're all at the other end of the country. I could try the Dutch version of Ebay though.

Fatima, I wonder if the bubble wrap would be enough to keep the temperature up? I've seen temperatures of 22-26C mentioned - I suppose if the temperature in the house is about 17 or 18, adding bubble wrap might be enough to kickstart the seedlings? I might give it a go, and I'd be interested to hear how you get on with yours.

Thanks for the advice, all.

[StripyPixieSocks]

There's no Freecycle group near me - they're all at the other end of the country. I could try the Dutch version of Ebay though.

Fatima, I wonder if the bubble wrap would be enough to keep the temperature up? I've seen temperatures of 22-26C mentioned - I suppose if the temperature in the house is about 17 or 18, adding bubble wrap might be enough to kickstart the seedlings? I might give it a go, and I'd be interested to hear how you get on with yours.

Thanks for the advice, all.

Do you post on a forum called Crafter...oo at all? Just curious as there's a Kitty_Ballistic there too (I'm Pearlescent on there if you do)

[Kitty Ballistic]

Do you post on a forum called Crafter...oo at all? Just curious as there's a Kitty_Ballistic there too (I'm Pearlescent on there if you do)

Yup, that's me. I've been outed.