Propagators

Stupid question time.....
Growing seeds in some Propagators. The ones with clear lids... Instructions say to remove lid when seeds show.... I've got 3 tiny little green shoots in a tray of 12 so should I take the lid off now? Or wait till I have a full tray (which might not happen) or transplant the ones showing?
Lost all the tomato seeds earlier in the year when this happened and would like to stop it happening again

 

What are you sowing now?

 

@ridgiemum I think you've answered your own question really, 3 is better than none I would say.

 

I'm experimenting.... Broom seeds, vetch seeds and wild poppy - all from the roadside.......

 

Can't really see the need for one at this time of year, plenty of heat without the propagators....they'll certainly warm up!

I remove lids at the first sign of growth.

 

To be quite honest none of those need a propagator, best sown now and left out all winter to germinate next spring.
As a side line I'd never mix seed in a tray in a propagator ,different plants germinate at different rates so makes life difficult when it comes to growing on out side the propagator

 

alrighty - to clarify -
last year i did the same experiment in pots and got nothing. The year before that i had one of those cheap plastic greenhouses and had success with the broom. i have 4 very established plants by this method. So, i reckon it needs the heat, which is why im experimenting with my propagators.
They are all in different propagators. I have not mixed seed...
i might not need propagators in the South of England but im in Scotland, so i do.
and my question isn't so much about what im growing and whether i need a propagator - what i wanted to know was when to take the lids off.... as i said - if some shoot and i leave the lids on, they die... but if i take them off to early, i don't get many shoots.. catch 22 really!

 

@ridgiemum I understand where you're coming from, had the same question as yourself, Seedlings in propagator you probably have a lot colder temperatures than me, but I got caught up with x° = propagator when sometimes just a bit of warmth will do, @pete and @KFF were very helpful in my understanding that.

 

Makes you wonder how these plants manage to survive in the wild.

Id just take the lids off.

 

When you see the seedlings popping up, vent it. Even propping up one end to give an opening is good. Mine all have vents that I can simply slide to let the air circulate but still keep the seedlings in a calm environment.

This is my general experience with seed growing and I use it for everything. Obviously being in a 5a zone, I'm growing a different selection of plants but it still works for me.

 

I always remove the lids when the first seedlings show or they become 'leggy'. The remaining seeds at this point have probably germinated and will appear a bit later.

 

5a??? what's that then?

 

thank you, that's what i wanted to know... brilliant advice.

 

surviving doesn't seem to be the problem, spreading is. there is very little broom around here, which is why im experimenting.....

 

It is my growing zone. If you look up yours, you can compare your growing conditions to mine