[juliec]

Hi Any one who can help.

My husband bought me 2 heated indoor propagators for my birthday, I have them on a sunny kitchen window and have  done well with cabbage and cauli seeds, however the following seeds have not germinated at all leeks, brocoli, coriander, sun flowers, carrots.

Are some plants happy in heated props and others  get too hot so dont germinate?

many thanks

Julie

[mumofstig]

I only use a heated propagator if the seed packet tells me to sow in the warm.
Brassicas, leek, carrots and the like really do not need  heat to germinate.
Plants that do are the usual suspects..tomatoes, peppers, chillies pumpkins courgettes.

Lettuce doesn't like heat and will not germinate if it gets too warm

[paintedlady]

heated propagators are perfect for chillies & peppers that need higher temperatures for germination, especially mid-winter when trying to start them off early (some can take several weeks to germinate)  Maybe tomatoes too although I've never had need for a heated propagator.

You don't need a propagator for brassicas such as cabbage, caulis, sprouts, broccoli etc, nor for leeks and onions. Carrots really ought to be sowed directly in the soil where you intend growing them rather than risk disturbing the roots when transplanting.  Sunflowers and squashes - maybe but then again, by the time you need to sow these, spring temperatures are usually rising rapidly anyway.

[Shop Keep]

I use my heated propagator to keep my turbo cider fermenting in the colder months. 

[mumofstig]

I use my heated propagator to keep my turbo cider fermenting in the colder months. 

very interesting  ............but I don't think that helps juliec, do you? 

[Shop Keep]

Me thinks he knew what he was doing buying those propagators for her birthday.
Before long there'll be cartons of apple juice filling the cupboards. 

[Fisherman]

I use a a home made heated propagator in the greenhouse for more or less all my indirect seeds sown until mid May or until the day time temperature gets too warm. Seeds such as cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers etc. are covered initially in order to create the ideal germination conditions. If I am growing seeds that don't need the warm temperatures such as lettuce, brassicas etc. I just turn the propagator temperature down to 15 degrees or so to ensure a bottom heat is maintained overnight and with no cover over them. Good germination rates are achieved practically every time. The greatest risks are sowing too early therefore being unable to plant the young plants out or not hardening the plants off properly. If you don't have a greenhouse a cold frame and propagator would work just the same.

I will have to think about the cider production but is sounds like the way forward in Autumn when the propagator is redundant.

[mumofstig]

You can use them for raising bread dough, as well you know

[DD.]

Have a look at the first section of this thread:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=49569.0

(I use polythene bags,  by the way).

[juliec]

please tell me more about cider making ive got a huge tub of windfall apples which i picked up yesterday!!

[JayG]

please tell me more about cider making ive got a huge tub of windfall apples which i picked up yesterday!!

Problem is how to extract the juice (think you might be hard-pressed.)

[Shop Keep]

Take a trip over to the homebrew forum, our red nosed comrades will only be to pleased to give you some advice