Heated vs. Unheated Propagator - Which is Best?
Which is better at germinating seeds - a heated or unheated propagator?
We put 'em to the test! And here's what we found out.
What we Did
We bought 6 types of herb seeds:
- Holy basil
- Majoram
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Sage
- Purple basil
None had been crushed or cracked in transit - all seemed viable, so we got to work.
Step 1
VitaLink Plant Start and Canna Rhizotonic were mixed with some dechlorinated water.
The pH was adjusted to 6.5 and two trays of Grodan Cutting Seed Cubes were pre-soaked.
Step 2
As cubes were removed, excess moisture was squeezed out.
This made sure the rooting environment wasn't too moist.
Step 3
Seeds were gently placed in the cubes. Where possible, they were covered with loose bits of rockwool
Step 4
We labelled trays as we went, so we know which plants came from which seeds.
By the time we were done, we had two identical seed trays.
Step 5
One went into the Hi-Top Unheated Propagator.
The other went into a Hi-Top Heated Propagator.
Step 6
The propagators went into the same tent, each under their own T5 light.
Vents were left closed, to keep the humidity high.
Results
We started seeing differences just 5 days in.
Day 2
Already, small cracks were starting to form on seeds in the heated propagtor. There were still no signs of life in the unheated propagator.
Heated propagator - day 2
Unheated propagator - day 2
Day 5
There's been quite a bit of action in both propagators.
Far more seeds had sprouted in the heated propagator. And they were bigger - the purple basil especially!
It's worth noting that the heated propagator needed spraying with water at this point because the cubes had started to dry a little. This is something you need to keep an eye on if you use a heated propagator.
Heated propagator - day 5
Unheated propagator - day 5
Day 7
By now, all seed varieties have sprouted in the heated propagator. They look pretty big, too.
In the unheated propagator, the holy basil seeds are yet to germinate.
Heated propagator - day 7
Unheated propagator - day 7
Day 9
By now, the seeds in the heated propagator are steaming ahead! They're much more advanced. More parsley seeds have germinanted in the unheated propagator but still no holy basil.
Heated propagator - day 9
Unheated propagator - day 9
