Seed planting season has started. Here's the way I do it.

[Smel]

Hi Paul,
some years ago I tried some seeds in coffee jars (Douwe Egberts), these were big and round, with a glass cap with a plastic seal.
I put about an inch of compost in the bottom and popped them in the microwave for a couple of minutes!
when cool added the seeds and popped the lids on. A year later the lids still in place and some nice plants in the bottom.
I did have a slight problem with Algae!

I also keep fish and aquatic plants don't get the free (in the air) CO2 and you have to supply it by other means, so I do have a cylinder of CO2 and can add my own to the bagss.

For me it's a bit late in the year to start seeds, but I have the BCSS seed list and think I'm going to give the 2" pots in a bag a try. Just skip the propagator bit.

Best wishes.

Mel.

[Conrad]

Very interesting to see how others do it.

Do you ever have issues with the propagator getting too hot Paul? I imagine when the greenhouse is 30c it would be 40+ in there. Is the propagator in full sun in the greenhouse, or a shady corner.

I recognise your propagator as a vitopod one I think, I have the same, good piece of kit.

[Paul D]

Very interesting to see how others do it.

Do you ever have issues with the propagator getting too hot Paul? I imagine when the greenhouse is 30c it would be 40+ in there. Is the propagator in full sun in the greenhouse, or a shady corner.

I recognise your propagator as a vitopod one I think, I have the same, good piece of kit.

It's on the open bench top so gets full sun, when it shines. The lids stay off when it's sunny. It does get hot, but the blue bags must shade a little, and I have fans running all the time. I've not had a problem with seedlings cooking.
Yes, vitopod, excellent bit of kit. I have three of them- two for seeds and one filled with grit for cuttings.

[habanerocat]

Very interesting to see how others do it.

Do you ever have issues with the propagator getting too hot Paul? I imagine when the greenhouse is 30c it would be 40+ in there. Is the propagator in full sun in the greenhouse, or a shady corner.

I recognise your propagator as a vitopod one I think, I have the same, good piece of kit.

It's on the open bench top so gets full sun, when it shines. The lids stay off when it's sunny. It does get hot, but the blue bags must shade a little, and I have fans running all the time. I've not had a problem with seedlings cooking.
Yes, vitopod, excellent bit of kit. I have three of them- two for seeds and one filled with grit for cuttings.

Hi Paul. Digging up an old thread again to ask a question. I see above that you use a propagator for cuttings. Do they take better in the propagator? I've never had to use one in the past. Any offsets just seemed to grow by simply sticking them in a pot. But I lost a particularly valuable (to me) cutting I was given and would be embarrassed to have to ask for a replacement again.

Do you find they take better in the high humidity of a propagator?

[Paul D]

Very interesting to see how others do it.

Do you ever have issues with the propagator getting too hot Paul? I imagine when the greenhouse is 30c it would be 40+ in there. Is the propagator in full sun in the greenhouse, or a shady corner.

I recognise your propagator as a vitopod one I think, I have the same, good piece of kit.

It's on the open bench top so gets full sun, when it shines. The lids stay off when it's sunny. It does get hot, but the blue bags must shade a little, and I have fans running all the time. I've not had a problem with seedlings cooking.
Yes, vitopod, excellent bit of kit. I have three of them- two for seeds and one filled with grit for cuttings.

Hi Paul. Digging up an old thread again to ask a question. I see above that you use a propagator for cuttings. Do they take better in the propagator? I've never had to use one in the past. Any offsets just seemed to grow by simply sticking them in a pot. But I lost a particularly valuable (to me) cutting I was given and would be embarrassed to have to ask for a replacement again.

Do you find they take better in the high humidity of a propagator?

I keep the lid off for cuttings. They don't get high humidity. Actually most of my cuttings now go in old polystyrene fish boxes, filled with grit and sand, no heat, no cover.
I can't show you because I've just finished potting up all of last years' cuttings- here are some of them with one of the boxes in the background. Of this batch, all rooted successfully apart from 5.

[Smel]

Hi Paul,
This year I followed your Bagging idea and must admit the germanion was very good, just about got something from everything sown. That was back in Febuary and I have just pricked a lot out into a tray including about 60 Conophytum xxxx, from one packet. The seed either came from Aiko or the BCSS seed pool, some a few years old.

Mel.

[Paul D]

You've got a good number there!

[AnTTun]

I might give a ZOOM talk to BCSS about sowing cacti.. kinda 'new wave'.. but mostly an addition to Ralph Martin's talk on the same subject. With some variations and more details regarding seedlings.. stay tuned

[Cidermanrolls]

I found a ripe seed pod on Astro myriostigma today, so yes, seed planting season has started.
I’m always up for an experiment with my own seed.

[Paul D]

I overdid it a bit with the seeds last year. On the left, last years sowings potted up at last, finished this week, and on the right, spare plants from the last 3 years sowing.