[Teen76]

Does anyone have any ideas on how to heat seed trays without the benefit of electricity and electric propagators?

One idea, which possibly could be a crazy was was I thought of lining part of my potting shed (half greenhouse/half shed) with cheap foil.  My reason originally was to produce more light in there at this time of year in the dark side of the shed where I do happen to keep some tender plants.  But it could also turn out to be a possibly could way to insulate too.  Am I mad?  What do you clever people thing?

Do you have any ideas?

I thought of making a propagator out of a polystyrene box and some horse manure, but wondered if it would be too small to produce any heat.  Again what are your opinions?

[eeyore]

putting them on the window sill in direct sun - above a radiator is the traditional way to go.

[Teen76]

I did that when I first moved into our house when it was a bit grotty.  I filled all available window sills!!

Now they've been done up and have blinds that take up most of that space, its not applicable.  My other half has taken over the kitchen window sill with cacti and venus flytraps, so no hope there.

It was a great thought though Eeyore and many thanks for it.

[Poolfield2]

I'm afaid that foil is a rubbish insulator, how about the bubblewrap for greenhouses?

[Trillium]

In the how to section of gardeners' world website there's an article about insulating greenhouses with bubblewrap. Foil does not at all insulate but it is a fantastic light reflector.

I have a tall fridge and put my seed trays on top of that for some heat. I can't put mine any lower or they become litter boxes  :evil:

[tam]

You can get foil type stuff to go behind radiators that has a layer of foamy insulating stuff on the back - I don't know how it would hold up outside though.

Tam

[Teen76]

I thought the foil might be good for light as I'd seen it in a magazine to put around things like peppers who need plenty of sun light to change colour, so I thought perhaps it would help all my struggling plants and perhaps any seedlings I choose to grow.  I would be putting it on the wooded side of my shed rather than the glass fronted side obviously  :roll:

I have loads of polystyrene which I put around my plants to protect them as much as I can, but this year is exceptionally cold and they're struggling I think.


I have to say that the more I get into allotmenting, the more I get into trying to think up new ideas for things, and how to get things for nothing or sell things I don't need or could perhaps create.  I may not get paid well being a part time gardener, but I believe living the way I am now and doing all the new things that I do I feel much happier than when I was a head typist earning far better money, but being stressed to the max and stuck in some dingy office.

I enjoy using an imagination I thought I'd left behind at school!

[Poolfield2]

Good on yer Teen76 :!: