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Buckland's Heated propagator

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Berghill (U2333373) on Sunday, 9th August 2009

  Don't watch TV very often but I did catch this item. Looked interesting, but I would love to know how the presenter deals with the inevitable growth of moss and liverwort on the sand he used in the construction. My sand propagator is now overed in the stuff and I have never found a good way of stopping it. All I can do is to remove the top layer of sand and replace it. Time consuming and expensive.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by malanD (U7337386) on Sunday, 9th August 2009

  Since it was a 30 min. job, they are not going to tell us the whole story. Those who were impressed by the heated box may try to make it or get it made for them. They will find out the hard way as you have. I personally think there is no need for it, plants can be raised without it, most people manage it.

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• Message 3

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  Posted by PenylanSue (U13901201) on Sunday, 9th August 2009

  Berghill, I find that by covering the sand with plants stops that. It's the light that allows the moss to grow. If I'm not using it all then I cover with either empty seed trays or a sheet of black plastic lightly placed on top.
  You can also scrape off the moss and I find that concrete sand (which is fine to use for this) is very cheap to buy. The used sand goes somewhere on the garden where it can be of some use but I really don't find I have to change it very often.
  Another thing I do with the prop is pile up a little bit of moist compost (I used to use peat but know better now), and place my bean seeds in it. In a matter of days, even hours, some of them germinate. I gently probe through the compost and pick out the ones that have started and pot them up. That way only viable seed gets a pot and they are away in no time. It's no hassle and an enjoyable thing to do for any one who thinks it's a faff.
  Also see Frank's reply to MalanD in the 'Gardeners' World Aug 7th' post.
  IMHO a propagator or heated bench is well worth having. My father made one by putting a 60watt bulb inside a box (with all the ventilation etc, he was an engineer) which he linked to thermostats, timers etc, etc but he was really impressed when soil warming cables came on the scene and made for me my first heated propagator out of an old drawer. I've said before, he was a Yorkshireman. What a fiddle the thermostat was on it but I loved it. This was in the early 1970s and the propagator I am using now is also home made, bigger but is only the second one, so you see, a good investment and will last a long time.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Berghill (U2333373) on Sunday, 9th August 2009

  At present my propagaotr os so full there is no room for any more cuttings. They cannot be closer as this leads to problems to do with lack of air movement. In between each row the liverwort is just beginning to gorw. I have been growing things from cuttings for over 40 years now and tried almost every method there is and still we get liverwort growing. A friend who is a professional gorwer has much the same problem and they have never found a reliable method either. Both of us scrape away the top surface and replenish the sand.
  Agreed that many plants do not need heat, but you try getting reasonable rooting from Daphnes without it.

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Sunday, 9th August 2009

  I was planning to lay a sheet of permeable membrane - mypex or similar over the sand. Any reason why bare sand is better?

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  Posted by PenylanSue (U13901201) on Sunday, 9th August 2009

  Trillium, I don't think it is any better. In fact, if I remember right, something like mypex is quite often used. I suppose it's easier to monitor the dampness of the sand, as the cables mustn't dry out, but it can be a pain when plants root into the sand while you're back's turned.
  Like all things, trial and error to find what suits what best.
  Don't think it's black and white.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Berghill (U2333373) on Monday, 10th August 2009

  Perhaps I should have made it clear that my cuttings go directly into the sand itelf, no pots, no compost,just sharp sand. I find things root incredibly quickly like this and as long as they are moved gently into compost once rooted there is no check to their growth.
  If you are rooting things in pots stood on the sand then I can see no reason why a membrane would not work. The sand then is just a method of spreading the heat from the cables and as long as water vapour can move through the membrane to provide a damp atmosphere then a system like that ought to be ok.
  To go back to the original point though, what looks like a great and cheap idea in a 10 minute sound bite is possibly less good when closely examined. How long before someone comes on the Beeb site asking how to get rid of the moss from their Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú propagator?

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• Message 8

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  Posted by ezageeza (U11292630) on Monday, 10th August 2009

  Trillium's suggestion for mypex or similar will work well - you can buy microperforated polythene on a roll especially for this application, tho liverwort will also grow on that to a certain extent. Watering the surface occaisionally with dilute Armillatox will keep either bare sand or a membrane pretty much clean however.

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• Message 9

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  Posted by Palaisglide (U3102587) on Monday, 10th August 2009

  I take for granted I will get moss and weed on the sand, it gets scraped off now and then and into the compost, more sand added, it is no big deal!
  I see no point in putting cuttings straight into the sand apart from a bit less heat will be needed.
  I use three inch pots filled with half compost and half sand and grit mixed, that way I do not need to re pot the cuttings for a while and if required a weak liquid feed does the job.
  The pots packed together on the bed allow enough air around the actual cutting and the humidity can rise up around the pots.
  Mypex will save some work and possibly keep the sand cleaner, to me an expense not really needed when a scrape and extra sand sorts it.
  We all do things our way but lifting rooted cutting from the sand and re-potting is one operation more than is needed. That is my thought anyway and as I get minimal loss it must be working for me.
  Frank.

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