Hardy Tropicals UK

I suppose it is time I bought one of these.

Any reccomendations guys? Things to avoid/look out for etc....

I've surfed the web but the choice is a bit boggling and prices range from £28 to nearly £100.

A thermostat will stop the seed cooking in warmer weather. However, be careful of the power (watts) as a lot of props are designed for a max temp of around the low 20sC. For many palms and bananas you will want 30C.

My recommendation would be a heat mat (e.g. 65W Bio-Green from somewhere like jungleSeeds) and a large B&Q unheated plastic propagator. I have found it will give very good temperature control all the way up to 40C.

Yes, I also recommend the heat (Bio Green) mats.
If the budget will stretch get a Bio Green digital thermostat also available from the Jungle People.
SORRY
I use the Digital thing with heating cable/heatedbench and I am not sure the plugging is compatible with the heat mats, without changing plugs etc (Bloody foreign wiring )

If Jungleseeds are the way to go I'll wait for their imminent catalogue and order all at once.

Looking at the website those heatmats look the ticket.
Cheers

I need some help with propagation of scheffelera seeds I planted 30 a couple of months ago and nothing happened..I read that they needed to be covered I guess completely in the dark any suggestions

Thasnks Doug

Hi Doug,

I tried these last year, without much success. I bought two packs of 12 of an unnamed hardy variety, I think probably similar to Taiwaniana. I tried three different methods and the only one that I got germination from was the one that was potted in JI No. 1 mixed with perlite and sowed the seeds just under the surface covering again with perlite. I'm a bit heavy handed with my watering so tend to just spray the surface. I didn't give any bottom heat but left on the kitchen windowsill (about this time of the year) and took two or three months to germinate. Only three germinated and two died. The one that I have left has just recently started to grow again, but still only a couple of inches tall.

Di

The Vitopod is good (huge) but by itself can only reach 30C, which is no use for germinating palms, but ideal for growing them on.
http://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/p ... ator.html

fgtbell wrote:The Vitopod is good (huge) but by itself can only reach 30C, which is no use for germinating palms, but ideal for growing them on.
http://www.greenhousesensation.co.uk/p ... ator.html

Looks good that.

I have a Two Wests and Elliot dew point propagator, which has an eye watering price but if you want the best this is it. I call it the magic cabinet - germination, cuttings and life saving emergencies!

http://www.twowests.co.uk/TwoWestsSite/ ... /DPMK2.htm

It's not perfect however. butters didn't include a temperature readout for a start