[pookey]

i wanted to set up a large propagation table in the greenhouse and it seems the thermostat and soil warming cables is the only option.

The 'soil warming' Thermostats are about £40 alone.  Are there any cheaper thermostats that could be used instead?

My dining table has about 12 full size seed trays on it and the hubby wants them out!  Greenhouse is unheated and I dont want to heat the whole thing - too expensive.

[WG.]

I understand that you can run them on a timer instead of a thermostat.  Make sure an RCD is fitted.

At this time of year, I'd be offering the bare minimum of heat anyway - otherwise you may be faced with a few weeks where the greenhouse is too warm and the outdoors is too cold.

Hard to be precise when you haven't mentioned which seeds you've sown  

[pookey]

i want the propagator just to germinate, as the temperature fluctuates in the greenhouse.  at the moment I have been sewing onions, early peas, broad bean, various salads and spring onions.  I am also going to sew sprouts, cauli, peppers + calabresse in the next couple of weeks - thats just of the top of my head.

I use padded jiffy envelopes at the moment which works quite well in the house.  I have a super 7 propogator - the one with the quarter seed trays but I hate pricking out so I dont really use it.

i also plan to plant a lot of module plants this year rather than seed as I want to use some mulches - probably fabric or cardboard as it is newly cleared ground and last year grass and weeds grew faster than the crops.