How to make a propagator to start your seeds
Ranked #697 in Home & Garden, #11,522 overall
Build your own seed propagator
A seed propagator can give seeds a really good strong start and allow you to grow them out of season.
Using one will speed up germination and increase germination success.
Full step-by-step illustrated instructions for building your own propagator are below, as well as info on buying one if you prefer a commercial one, instructions on using it and tips to improve your success rate and deal with common problems.
Covering seeds with a seedling propagator presents a warm, humid and protected environment for your plants to flourish in.
Commercial propagators tend not to be cheap, however the good news is that it is really not difficult to build a very simple and effective seed propagator from what a grower will have in their house already.
The topics in this HOWTO include:
This can be used to incubate many seeds that do not require wintering. It is small, so only 10/20 seeds or fewer should be planted in it. Once set up, it is mostly self watering. The seeds will eventually need to be planted out. I recommend small fibre pots, or cardboard tube based pots once the time for that comes.
Using one will speed up germination and increase germination success.
Full step-by-step illustrated instructions for building your own propagator are below, as well as info on buying one if you prefer a commercial one, instructions on using it and tips to improve your success rate and deal with common problems.
Covering seeds with a seedling propagator presents a warm, humid and protected environment for your plants to flourish in.
Commercial propagators tend not to be cheap, however the good news is that it is really not difficult to build a very simple and effective seed propagator from what a grower will have in their house already.
The topics in this HOWTO include:
- How to build your own seed incubator from household objects - the cheap and simple way.
- How to buy a seed incubator
- How to use a seed incubator
This can be used to incubate many seeds that do not require wintering. It is small, so only 10/20 seeds or fewer should be planted in it. Once set up, it is mostly self watering. The seeds will eventually need to be planted out. I recommend small fibre pots, or cardboard tube based pots once the time for that comes.
The home made seed propagator being used to sprout tomatoes
If you would prefer to buy one..
Not everyone has the time or patience to build their own.
Although this is a fairly simple build ideal for the frugal gardener, buying a commercial propagator will save a little time, and may have features not present in a home built one.
Here is a selection of propagators available for those who prefer this.
Although this is a fairly simple build ideal for the frugal gardener, buying a commercial propagator will save a little time, and may have features not present in a home built one.
Here is a selection of propagators available for those who prefer this.
Plants Suitable For The Propagator
This home built seed propagator can be used to incubate many types of seeds.
Those that do best are those that do not require wintering. Some seeds, for example apple, need a cold snap before they will germinate.
The propagator is small, so it is recommended that only 10/20 seeds or fewer should be planted in it. Try to keep them about 1cm apart, scaling this for larger seeds like cucumber.
Tomatoes, aubergines and herbs thrive. Tomatoes are fairly hardy anyway, but this will give them an extra push.
Those that do best are those that do not require wintering. Some seeds, for example apple, need a cold snap before they will germinate.
The propagator is small, so it is recommended that only 10/20 seeds or fewer should be planted in it. Try to keep them about 1cm apart, scaling this for larger seeds like cucumber.
Tomatoes, aubergines and herbs thrive. Tomatoes are fairly hardy anyway, but this will give them an extra push.
Do you grown your own food?
Tomatoes are a great food to grow your own - they are easy, tasty and quick to get going with.
Is a propagator really necessary?
Not all plant growers think one is needed. After all - in a natural setting, in the wild, no plants would be germinated in this way. True - some climates are warmer and moister, and this can be emulated by the germinator - keeping it in moist warm conditions.
It is protected from some pests - but being indoors it may be anyway. However, this also means predators are not there to keep any possible pests in check, which may multiply hugely in the environment. Fungi is a repeated problem with these set ups.
With the right soil, it is still an organic method, no chemicals or pesticides need to be used.
So tell me, do you think a propagator should be used for some plants (those which take well to them) or not?
(HTML allowed, comments moderated. A Guestbook for general comments is below)
Should a propagator be used with plants?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes - it gives seeds a great start.
Ray says:
In late winter and early spring it is sometimes necessary. You could increase the propagation area by turning the container on its side and carefully cutting out the side of the container and then replacing the lid
Posted February 13, 2012
wolfie10 says:
yes it gives your plants a very good start and they are well protected
Posted October 16, 2011
BarbRad says:
I find it very useful to start plants inside. I've tried both commercial and non-commercial set-ups for this.
Posted March 17, 2011
No - better to go all natural.
Materials
Stuff you require to build this
Before you can build it, it is a good plan to gather the stuff that you need together. Details for all are below.
- A small plastic saucer/drip tray
- A larger plastic saucer/drip tray
- A transparent bottle - with a wide neck and quite tall
- potting compound or compost
- A little water
- A small gardening trowel
- A well lit shelf
- Some willing seeds
A Small 90 mm/ 4 inch saucer / planter tray
This Saucer will sit inside the larger one. It is here where the potting compound and seeds will sit. It needs to be fairly high rimmed. If you have been gardening a while, you will have some of these already, if not, buy a pack of them, you will need saucers of different sizes to go under pots of different sizes.
Terra Tray - T.C. 4"
Amazon Price: (as of 02/14/2012)
I always prefer the terracotta look for my plant accessories. In fact, I am not sure transparent ones are a good idea for this - roots should probably be in a dark area.
This is a bulk pack, to get you started on building a few of these modules and leave you some for the normal intended use of putting them under pots.
A larger 5 - 6 Inch (or 140 mm) Saucer
The smaller saucer will sit in this larger one, protecting the surface underneath from getting wet and helping keep moisture in the propagator.
Fiskars 51006C 6-Inch Terratray Planter Tray, Clay
Amazon Price: $0.56 (as of 02/14/2012)
If you are planting many plants, or building one of these modules, you will need plenty of saucers. This is a small bulk pack of 10 to get you started.
Find a large plastic transparent bottle to recycle into the propagator
I use the bottles that Veetee Basmati rice comes in. Rice can be bought like this in Tesco in the UK.
Any large transparent plastic bottle with a neck between the diameter of the small planter and the large planter will do. The dimensions here need only be roughly followed. The height is more than needed, anything over 150mm (6 inches) high will do.
A standard 2 ltr plastic soft drink bottle, sliced after the neck should also suffice. Also, the transparent cases for recordable CD spindles should do. I suggest the 100's as the 50s are a bit too short.
- Height: ~300mm (1 foot) - anything over about 200mm should be suitable.
- Neck Diameter: ~120mm (4 - 5 inches)
- Side widths: ~150mm (6 inches) - less important
You will need some potting compound or compost
Sunshine Organic Original Soil Mix - 8 Quart Bag of Potting Soil
Amazon Price: $3.95 (as of 02/14/2012)
I recommend getting good organic compost or potting soil, as this can really help out when growing things indoor or out.
Or alternatively hack your own potting soil
You probably could hack this by sterilising (with boiling water) some garden soil and mixing drainage pellets like this vermiculite, or some perlite. I prefer vermiculite myself as it tends to remain in the soil longer, and I even use it to mix with commercial composts to fix water and hold nutrients so they are not washed out. If you are hacking your own soil, make sure the water is properly boiling, you need to ensure there are no living fungi and other pests that are normally found lurking in garden soil - in an indoor window box environment, the usual checks and balances are not present to control them!
A little water
Start them off with some water. Do not overdo it - you need to moisten the soil, a little more than a mature plant, but not soggy.
This system retains moisture, so you should not need to top it up during the propagation. If there is enough sunlight, you will see condensation on the bottle. Check of course if the soil has dried, and only add a few more drops if that is the case.
This system retains moisture, so you should not need to top it up during the propagation. If there is enough sunlight, you will see condensation on the bottle. Check of course if the soil has dried, and only add a few more drops if that is the case.
Window sill or shelf
Think about where you will place this. It should be on a flat hard surface, which receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day. Since you may be propagating in the colder months of spring, this should be indoors, where room temperature will be more than an outdoor location.
And some willing seeds of course
You can use any seeds for this. I am mainly growing tomatoes. Surprisingly, many of these are directly from supermarket tomatoes - literally squirting out some seeds as a chow down on one. you can buy some seeds if you want something a bit less random than that though.
Gardener's Delight Tomato 130 Seeds-GARDEN FRESH PACK!
Amazon Price: $1.49 (as of 02/14/2012)
Gardeners Delight is a small sweet cherry tomato. The fruits are bright red and being indeterminate can keep on yielding all through the year if grown indoors.
Method
How to actually build the propagator
Building this is really very, very simple:- Place a small amount of soil in the smaller planter tray, about 1/4 of the way up.
- Put the seeds on here. Try to give them about 10mm from each other at least so they do not overwhelm each other before being transferred.
- Cover with soil to about 3/4 of the tray depth.
- Add a little water - not too much - just enough to make the soil consistently moist to the touch.
- Place the small tray into the larger one.
Wash and strip all labels off the rice bottle.
Ensure the rice bottle is clean. You do not have any worms or creatures to digest rice dust, and just letting it fall onto the soil may just encourage pests later.- Place the rice bottle so the rim of its neck sits in the gap between the two trays.
- Make sure the whole lot is in the well lit sill or shelf.
- After a day or so, the water may condense in the bottle and run down - this is fine. You should not need to add much water as long as the bottle still appears moist.
- Wait a week or so, and the seedlings will sprout.
Using the propagator
How to use it once built
The good thing is that the layout can be used multiple times. It is so very simple really. You probably have the parts around to build a few. Once set up, it is mostly self watering. The seeds will eventually need to be planted out. I recommend small fibre pots, or cardboard tube based pots once the time for that comes. Be aware that because these are quite successful, make sure you have plenty of space to plant out the seeds properly when they are large enough.
As mentioned before, only a few seeds should be used, too many and they will overwhelm each other.
Only a little water is required. The fact that it condenses, and keeps water in means that it is not lost to evaporation.
If there is any sign of fungi in the bottle, clean the bottle, add a little water. If there is fungi on the soil you will need to transfer the plants, dispose of the soil and clean the whole rig. Read below for more info on fungi.
One the seedlings reach out and have sprouted proper leaves (not just the cotyledons) then that is usually time to plant them out. I generally plant out into fibre pots, filling them with soil, dibbing, then placing each seedlings root ball in the dibbed hole. If the seedling is too leggy, make the hole deeper, and fill around part of the stem. For some plants, like tomatoes, this will encourage more root growth.
To re-use, simple remove the soil, clean, refill, plant seeds, add a little water and it is ready to propagate again.
The lighting needs to be fairly regular, but no too intense - you want to give good light but not scorch the tender new seedlings.
Try not plant the seedlings too close, if they are right on top of each other, their roots may begin to tangle up and they will be very difficult to separate.
As mentioned before, only a few seeds should be used, too many and they will overwhelm each other.
Only a little water is required. The fact that it condenses, and keeps water in means that it is not lost to evaporation.
If there is any sign of fungi in the bottle, clean the bottle, add a little water. If there is fungi on the soil you will need to transfer the plants, dispose of the soil and clean the whole rig. Read below for more info on fungi.
One the seedlings reach out and have sprouted proper leaves (not just the cotyledons) then that is usually time to plant them out. I generally plant out into fibre pots, filling them with soil, dibbing, then placing each seedlings root ball in the dibbed hole. If the seedling is too leggy, make the hole deeper, and fill around part of the stem. For some plants, like tomatoes, this will encourage more root growth.
To re-use, simple remove the soil, clean, refill, plant seeds, add a little water and it is ready to propagate again.
The lighting needs to be fairly regular, but no too intense - you want to give good light but not scorch the tender new seedlings.
Try not plant the seedlings too close, if they are right on top of each other, their roots may begin to tangle up and they will be very difficult to separate.
Preventing Fungus Buildup
Sometimes, a flaw of these propagators is that you will find fungus inside them. They are damp, warm and have nutrient rich compost, so that should not be a surprise. They are prone to this problem.
The main thing about this is to make sure it is cleaned well between uses, and that you take action at the first sign of a fungal infection. A good propagator for seeds may become an equally good propagator for fungi.
Here steps that can be taken to prevent this:
If fungi is seen on the bottle, remove it, clean it, then replace it. If fungi is seen on the seedlings, you may chose to use a fungicide spray. I avoid those as my garden is both organic and edible. Beware that some fungi will render a herb or veg inedible - they may be toxic.
The main thing about this is to make sure it is cleaned well between uses, and that you take action at the first sign of a fungal infection. A good propagator for seeds may become an equally good propagator for fungi.
Here steps that can be taken to prevent this:
- Ensure the compost is sterile - reusing old compost from other pots, or garden compost or even some commercial ones may mean you are introducing fungi that way. Pour boiling water through it, and allow it to drain and cool before putting it into the rig.
- Ensure the rig is sterile - Similarly, although neither the planter drip trays, nor the bottle will tolerate boiling water, washing them well and hosing them down shoudl reduce the risk of them carring in a fungal infection.
- Occasionally lift the bottle off - just allowing occasional fresh air to circulate, and reducing the damp sometimes will reduce the risk or growth of fungi a lot.
- Getting more light on it may help - Plants like light a lot more than fungi.
- Do not overwater it. Fungi likes soggy soil, plant seeds do not.
If fungi is seen on the bottle, remove it, clean it, then replace it. If fungi is seen on the seedlings, you may chose to use a fungicide spray. I avoid those as my garden is both organic and edible. Beware that some fungi will render a herb or veg inedible - they may be toxic.
Ways to deal with fungus
Here you can find and share tips for preventing fungus in this propagator. You can add your own link, and all relevant links will be posted.
Grow Your Own Garlic Rose Fungicide | Frugal Gardener
Did you know you can grow and make your own rose b more...0 points
Keeping the seed propagator Stable
This rig can be easily knocked over. Most plant pots suffer this, but the bottle may be a little top heavy. The watered soil at the base should act as a bit of ballast, but it can be knocked over easily.
To prevent this, the based can be secured with a little bluetac to the surface it is on- only a thin amount is needed - big blobs may make the rig less stable.
Try to place it out of the way - on a window sill is good, but not right in front of the handle to open the window.
Finally, some kind of stand could be built. So far I have not needed this, but coathanger wire bent to hold the bottle in place with some legs may help here.
To prevent this, the based can be secured with a little bluetac to the surface it is on- only a thin amount is needed - big blobs may make the rig less stable.
Try to place it out of the way - on a window sill is good, but not right in front of the handle to open the window.
Finally, some kind of stand could be built. So far I have not needed this, but coathanger wire bent to hold the bottle in place with some legs may help here.
Warming the propagator
Seeds propagate faster when gently warmed. You do not want to scorch or boil them, but maybe a few degrees above room temperature is suitable. Do not put them out into the cold.
A heat mat for lizards or commercial propagators may be used. These are not particularly cheap, but will do the trick.
Having the rig near a heater/radiator is good, but do not put it directly on the heater as that would be too much.
Putting the rig in direct sunlight will get it nice and warm, but to avoid the plants being scorched, make sure that there is enough water. You may see condensation forming on the inside of the bottle.
If you have an older refrigerator there may be a warm spot above it, but many recent energy efficient ones do not put out heat like old ones used to.
A heat mat for lizards or commercial propagators may be used. These are not particularly cheap, but will do the trick.
Having the rig near a heater/radiator is good, but do not put it directly on the heater as that would be too much.
Putting the rig in direct sunlight will get it nice and warm, but to avoid the plants being scorched, make sure that there is enough water. You may see condensation forming on the inside of the bottle.
If you have an older refrigerator there may be a warm spot above it, but many recent energy efficient ones do not put out heat like old ones used to.
Propagator variations and improvements
My other ideas for making this more handy
These variations are things I am considering to remedy some of the flaws. I will be trying them when I next propagate seeds.
A larger set up.
Cutting the bottle halfway, vertically, and somehow binding the two necks would give a shorter (in height) incubator, but with a greater base area, and it is the base area that gives growing room.
To do this, a larger growing base might need to be used. A rectangular drip tray would probably take the place of the large saucer, and it could be used with either multiple smaller saucers, or tiny seed planter pots. It would be good to use breakaway fibre planters for that, although that could be a little expensive.
- Could the inside of the bottle be given a quick coat of something that resists fungi? Keeping it suitable for edible plants, maybe lemon juice or strong tea, which both have antiseptic properties? Would this otherwise affect the seedlings or be too harsh for them?
When to start propagating your seeds
What time of the year is best to propagate or sow your seeds?
The answer depends on the seeds in question, and many seed packets will display a date. For indoor plants, the time of year will not matter, although you may need to use artificial light to augment the sunlight if there are not many hours of this.
Generally speaking - the months of march through to may are the best time to start seeds, the weather is warm, the year is ahead for development before winter, the days are getting longer, and if they are fruiting, then this is likely to occur in the harvest season.
The answer depends on the seeds in question, and many seed packets will display a date. For indoor plants, the time of year will not matter, although you may need to use artificial light to augment the sunlight if there are not many hours of this.
Generally speaking - the months of march through to may are the best time to start seeds, the weather is warm, the year is ahead for development before winter, the days are getting longer, and if they are fruiting, then this is likely to occur in the harvest season.
Further information on propagators
Other Plant Lenses
Have a look at these other lenses to help you around your plants and gardening
Tipping my hat to the angels
This lens has been blessed by angels. Thank you all so much!Did the propagator help you make your garden greener?
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
What people are saying about Building the Seed propagator
You can talk about this seed propagator on your favourite social networking place:
- Talk about the seed propagator on MyBlogLog
- Talk about it on Yahoo Buzz
- People talking about this on Twitter:
It is march, time to start planting seeds. What are you going to be planting? http://bit.ly/GUJeK
0 characters used, 100 remaining
I say...
What others are saying...
Loading...
Ideas, Uses or Improvements for the seed Propagator?
Please let me know what you think.
- What have you used it for?
- What did you grow?
- Did you modify it slightly?
- Have you found other suitable materials?
- Were there any flaws you have discovered, and do you know a way around them?
submit
-
Reply
-
JoshK47
Jan 24, 2012 @ 10:27 am | delete
- Very interesting - great info! :)
-
-
Reply
-
wolfie10
Oct 16, 2011 @ 1:32 am | delete
- well done
-
-
Reply
-
katemiya
Oct 12, 2011 @ 2:05 am | delete
- My black thumb hopes this will help keep my seeds alive. I could use all the help I could get.
-
-
Reply
-
FarmerTom
Jul 23, 2011 @ 4:08 pm | delete
- I have a friend who starts rose cuttings in similar looking homemade incubators made of 2-litre bottles and milk jugs. Cool lens!
-
-
Reply
-
GrammaLinda
Apr 19, 2011 @ 12:16 am | delete
- I purchased a small seed propagator this spring. It works so well, that I intend to make some homemade ones, too. Thanks for the instructions!
-
- Load More
Further information on gardening and growing
Other sites related to propagators, planting and growing things.
Powered By Ringsurf
<< Prev | Ring Hub | Join | Rate | Next >>
Powered By Ringsurf
- Greenhouse Sensation Online | Propagator | Propagators
- Propagators and Gardening kits
Here are some professional kits, which offer more in terms of features, but also cost somewhat more than these. Certainly worthy of comparison. - Growing tomatoes (and other stuff)
- There is little as satisfying as eating food you have grown yourself. I will admit, my wife usually cooks with it, but I have all the pleasure of growing it. Sure, a couple of non-food plants make the list (like the carnivorous ones that keep away pests), but it is nearly all edible....
- HOWTO: Self watering plant pot experiment
- A year or so ago, I realised that I could not always be around to water my own plants. So I built a system to try and help water them for me. I experimented with plants, and got mixed results.
- Frugal Gardening and More
- This person gets almost everything in their garden for free. Read to learn a lot of tricks for doing this.
- The Green Thumb Headquarters
- The Squidoo DIY Guide To Gardening
- Gardener Squids Headquarters
- Gardener SquidsThis lens was created to share gardening resources with fellow Squids! All gardening lenses welcome!As the group begins to grow we will have more activities going on! Stay tuned for some really exciting events!
- Garden Rant: I my terrarium
- Remember this post last year, from Amy? She discussed terrariums (terraria?) as a 70s phenomenon that might experience a revival. She was clearly prescient in my case. Not only did we purchase two of the Think Geek desktop carnivorous plant...
- Growing Thymes: Seed Starting
- A very handy blog entry on starting and labelling seeds.
- Urban Veggie Garden Blog: Seed Orders, Planting & Germination Already
- Info on germinating seeds with a propagator, including photos and how fast some seeds germinate when on a heat mat.
- Germination of Seeds
- Detailed information on seed germination from scientific viewpoint. If you are struggling to germinate seeds, or simply want to make the best of it, this is worth reading.
- AZ Master Gardener Manual: Starting Seeds
- A very comprehensive reference for starting seeds.
- Seed Starting - How to Successfully Start Plants from Seed
- Starting plants from seed isn't rocket science, but there are several seed starting tips that will help your success rate with seed germination and give your seedlings a healthy start. Here's how to start seeds indoors and the seed starting supplies you'll need to grow plants from seed.
- When to Start Seeds - Growing Your Own Plants from Seed
- Growing plants from seed is an easy, inexpensive way to get more plants. The hard part is often knowing when to start the seeds. Here are a few easy tips to get you on the right track for seed starting.
- Cents To Get Debt-Free: Determining Seedling Problems
- you notice that your leaves are not the same shade green as when they started. Upon further investigation you notice that the leaves are actually somewhat purple, and maybe just a smidge yellow.
Or maybe they were growing fantastically, and all of a sudden they stopped.
What on Earth does this all mean? - How to garden on a shoestring
- Growing your own fruit and veg has become super-trendy but can be expensive - is it possible to do it on a budget?
- The Radish Plant, it's care, cultivation and harvest
- Info on planting and harvesting Radish plants - which I have grown in my setup.
- Make A Mini Plant Propagator From A CD Spindle
- Such a simple idea - recycle those CD cake tubs as mini propagators for starting your garden seeds.
Or use it to propagate cuttings.
This alternative design is pretty good - good enough to have become the top ranking google hit for this.
About Danny Staple
Read other Top Lenses
If you enjoyed reading this, there are many other great lenses on Squidoo.
AllTop: Top Lenses from Squidoo.
AllTop: Top Lenses from Squidoo.
Now we are in May..
27/04/09 6:50 am
There are many garden veg seeds that are good to start in May and suitable for the propagator. These include (and are not limited to): Lettuce, parsley, Beetroot, carrot, courgette, cucumber, marrow, pumpkin, pea, runner bean, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprout, cabbage, celery, chinese cabbage, cress, fennel, leek, rocket, sorrel, spinach, swiss chard. Plenty to get stuck into for the veg growers out there.
When better to plant things?
18/03/09 7:12 am
It is now the barmy month of march, soon to be April. This is the ideal time to start seeds. This propagator will give them a great start too. I have added info on when to plant them, dealing with some of the issues like checking fungal growth and making the rig more stable. Hit while the iron is hot - to save yourself a little money and eat fresh veg, go plant some veg seeds today!
I have added diagrams to make it easier to read
07/01/09 2:00 pm
This HowTo did not have enough diagrams in the steps for building it. I have now added them in to make it easier to follow this, as well as new links, some you can buy if it will be easier, and links to some of my other plant lenses. Enjoy!
I have been adding pictures and rearranging things
13/08/08 8:38 am
I've been improving all my lenses, adding more pictures (relevant ones), as well as rejigging the layout and making the table of contents more readable. Come tell us what you think!
by dannystaple
dannystaple
I love growing things, especially food plants. I grow tomatoes and other herbs. I try to build/make what I use, and reuse what I have around the house.
I...
more »
- 80 featured lenses
- Winner of 15 trophies!
- Top lens » The Lego RCX, Inside And Out
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- Growing tomatoes (and other stuff) Growing tomatoes (and other stuff)
- Eating Well regardless of Food prices Eating Well regardless of Food prices
- Starting Garden Seeds Indoors Starting Garden Seeds Indoors
- Seed germination Seed germination
- Growing Vegetable Seeds Growing Vegetable Seeds
- Back-yard-gardening Back-yard-gardening
