[rhysdad]

Quick query, how much and when? At the moment i have three types of chilli and strawberry plants sown into individual modules in the heated props. One prop has seeds sown in multi purpose compost and is staying nice and damp, just right i'd say. The other is Arthur bowers seed compost with loam, grit etc and is drying out severely, i watered it earlier this afternoon and having just checked again, the soil is bone dry...!

I'm guessing those seeds may just fail? How should i be watering them properly? At the moment i am using a spray gun and just damping the compost nicely. I don't fill the base of the prop do i and let capilliary action take over? Help!!  

[cooperman]

did you soak the tray with the compost prior to sowing the seed?  By soaking I mean stand in a larger tray filled up with water. Do this the day before sowing taking the tray out of the the water and draining overnight. Water the compost with a very fine rose in a mini watering can. Mist spraying is not enough - this only damps the top.

[prakash_mib]

I water the trays with my son's play watering can. does the job neatly

[Nikkithefoot]

my heated propagators have either capillary matting in the bottom which works a treat, providing you keep it damp (obviously) which I find means watering once a week, or damp sand in the bottom which is harder to keep damp (I usually get it wrong and it becomes wet!!)

[Loubs]

The only watering I do in the prop is when I open up the lid -  all the moisture that has condensed on the lid, as this runs down I tip it back onto any of the pots that look dry.

Try taking your dry pots out, and sitting them in a bowl of water for 10 mins - that should be enough time for capillary action to draw the moisture up & soak the compost (if you water heavily from the top, your seed will float up to the surface). Then put them back in the prop. I wouldn't fill the prop with water.

And shuffle your pots around - put one of your multi-purpose pots where your AB compost pot was for a few days, just to check you don't have a hot-spot on your propagator.

[rhysdad]

The only watering I do in the prop is when I open up the lid -  all the moisture that has condensed on the lid, as this runs down I tip it back onto any of the pots that look dry.

Try taking your dry pots out, and sitting them in a bowl of water for 10 mins - that should be enough time for capillary action to draw the moisture up & soak the compost (if you water heavily from the top, your seed will float up to the surface). Then put them back in the prop. I wouldn't fill the prop with water.

And shuffle your pots around - put one of your multi-purpose pots where your AB compost pot was for a few days, just to check you don't have a hot-spot on your propagator.

I've sown them in these...



maybe that wasn't such a good idea?

[whippersnapper]

I always fill the base of those seed trays which seems to work fine.

[whippersnapper]

Oh hang on...so you've put those trays into the propagator? Hmmm...

So I suppose you could take it out, fill the bottom section with water, sit the seed tray in the base for 10mins or so, empty the base of any excess water and then put back in the prop?

[rhysdad]

Oh hang on...so you've put those trays into the propagator? Hmmm...

So I suppose you could take it out, fill the bottom section with water, sit the seed tray in the base for 10mins or so, empty the base of any excess water and then put back in the prop?

I've decide to bin the lot and start again. I've used a fershly disinfected seed tray, filled with multi purpose compost and firmed down. I've then sat that in a tray of water to soak. When soaked up i'll then drain, sow the seed and cover with vermiculite and pop in the propagator. I know it's running a bit late for chilli's but seeing as how Winter might still be keeping a grip, i'm not too worried. I used the seed inserts to try to avoid pricking out but i can see that maybe won't work?

I guess i have to just do it properly...... 

[Loubs]

Ask a question and you'll get 20 different answers & ways of doing things 

I sow in exactly the same kind of pots as you Rhysdad, and pop these in the propagator so I wouldn't bin - they work for me. In fact, I think they're ideal, as you can cut out the little pots as soon as they sprout so your early seedlings don't get too weak & leggy - and leave the remaining pots in the prop till they're ready to germinate.

There's a knack to getting the amount of water just so... and you will quickly grasp with a little experience - no-one can really tell you - you just need to get it wrong a few times before you figure it out    Getting it right is just a matter of judgement - stick your finger in the compost to see how it feels (damp, not waterlogged) and picking up the pots to check they're not too heavy or too light. Too little water and they'll dry out, too much and your seeds might rot before they grow, or once they go sprout, damping off gets them.

[rhysdad]

Ask a question and you'll get 20 different answers & ways of doing things 

I sow in exactly the same kind of pots as you Rhysdad, and pop these in the propagator so I wouldn't bin - they work for me. In fact, I think they're ideal, as you can cut out the little pots as soon as they sprout so your early seedlings don't get too weak & leggy - and leave the remaining pots in the prop till they're ready to germinate.

There's a knack to getting the amount of water just so... and you will quickly grasp with a little experience - no-one can really tell you - you just need to get it wrong a few times before you figure it out    Getting it right is just a matter of judgement - stick your finger in the compost to see how it feels (damp, not waterlogged) and picking up the pots to check they're not too heavy or too light. Too little water and they'll dry out, too much and your seeds might rot before they grow, or once they go sprout, damping off gets them.

Always the way Loubs, always different opinions! Thanks for your tips.

 As another quickie, do i have to bin the compost each time i sow or could i re-use? Being thrifty and all.....

[Loubs]

I compost the compost 

[Kristen]

I think the problem you probably had was that the surface is "open".

In the old days we used to put a sheet of glass over seed trays; I have little 1/4 sized seed trays in my propagator, and they have clear plastic dome lids. They don't need watering at all because whatever evaporates then condenses on the lid and runs back into the tray (as someone else said).

Perhaps you could cover yours with cling film or somesuch? Put some little sticks in so that there is an inch or two "headroom" for the seeds to germinate into. (I guess the trays are too large to put into a clear plastic bag?

I'm also in the camp of if they dry out put them in a bowl of water and let the water come up from underneath so as not to disturb the seeds on the top.

Judge the weight of the tray to gauge how much water it has.  This may be something that experience teaches one, but my suggestion would be next time you are preparing some trays fill two with compost, and sit one in a tray of water for an hour, take it out and let the initial water run out, then compare the weight (just by hand) of the Wet and the Dry ones so you get a feel for what a wet tray feels like.

Or stick them on the kitchen scales - my bank seems to be happy to weight 10 pound notes and be sure that the right number are in the bundle, should be good enough for a seed tray!