Heated propagator problems

Last year I purchased a very nice thermostatically controlled heated propagator and thought it would be easy !! (shame on me) ...
I tried to follow all the tips I had read about and among other things I had to lower the lights and used a fine spray for watering and so on .... However all my seeds grew up veryleggy & straggly and were not strong enough to continue further.
It is clear that I am doing something wrong .. maybe the temperature .. maybe I left the germinated seeds in the propagator too long or perhaps I didn't water correctly.

I do not seem to find any threads that give a detailed description as to what procedure to follow and fear I will have the same problem this coming year.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE A MOMENT TO GIVE ME A STEP BY STEP "DUMMIES INSTRUCTION" AS TO WHAT TO DO ....
It is a great propagator and was not inexpensive !! so it would be a real shame to to use it improperly
Many many thanks in advance
Cheers,
Nick

 

Hi Nick,

Not got one myself but I thought, this is when we need Kristen back, he'd know.:(

http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/...time-after-germination-heated-propagator.html

One of his old posts there if thats of any use

 

I'm always careful when sowing in a propagator, you need to judge when to sow, bearing in mind the seedlings need to be removed to a lower temperature soon after germination.
Also it can be too humid in a propagator for some seedlings.

So I have always backed away from sowing too early, that is, at a time when I cant maintain a growing temperature outside the propagator.

It varies from plant to plant to some extent, but if you leave seedings in a propagator during low light times they will get very leggy.

 

I agree with Shiney and Pete.

I think there is a basic principle that plants grow normally only when the temperature and light levels are in balance. In winter and early spring both temperatures and light levels are low, and the plants are happy. In the summer both temperatures and light levels are high and plants are also happy.

However if you have a summer type temperature, by growing in a heated propagator or inside a centrally heated house but the light levels are low plants will get leggy.

I have a heated propagator and use it to germinate seeds - they often need a reasonably high temperature for germination. But once germinated the seedlings need to be taken out of the propagator and given as much light as possible.

 

This is all there is to it!! Don't try to grow the plants in the propagator it will be too moist and not enough light, once the seeds are germinated take them out and harden them off on a windowsill or similar.

Val