Heated propagation mats

[Luke308]

Hi guys, I am looking for opinions on heated seed trays or propagation mats. I have tried my hand at cuttings, and only had mild success (about 25%) and from what I understand using bottom heat improves strike rates.

I had a quick look on ebay, and at the big green shed, and both seemed rather pricey. Is there somewhere that stocks these for a reasonable price? Or is there a DIY alternative to build my own? I already have a seed tray with the clear plastic lid (Yates brand) but even that was $30. I'd be interested in hearing what others use for cutting propagation.

The only real success with cuttings I have had is with Tridents at about 60% strike rate. The other question is how long should I leave them to establish roots before potting-up into something bigger than a tube/seedling pot?
Thanks guys

[mattgatenby]

Hey Luke,

Have you tried any hydroponic stores ? I picked up one from my local 5+ years ago and it is still going strong !

I'll get the brand for you and reply

Matt

[Luke308]

Hey Luke,

Have you tried any hydroponic stores ? I picked up one from my local 5+ years ago and it is still going strong !

I'll get the brand for you and reply

Matt

No I haven't, but that is a great idea!! I'd appreciate it if you could check the brand name for me.

BTW I love your avatar picture

[Joel]

You can pick up heat mats from shops that sell reptile supplies. They aren't waterproof but I tend to do all my difficult prop indoors in a plastic container with a florescent tube anyway. I can control temperature humidity and light then. It's rather easy but only good for small amounts (couple hundred cuttings max). Works a treat!

Joel

[Bretts]

I have seen an article that used the rope type christmas lights burried under sand. Might not be the safest way but it sure was cheap if you are doing large amounts. I purchased a small one of ebay that does one tray.

[Shane Martin]

I bought one from Bunnings, for around 35-40 bucks and swapped out the trays that came with the propagation kit for some slightly deeper seedling trays and put down around 30 sargent juniper cuttings. I thought it would work a treat, but after 6 or so weeks had nothing but mouldy dead foliage. There looked to be good humid conditions inside the unit with good under heating and I made sure the vents in the clear plastic lid were open enough to maintain humidity, and not create too much condensation inside the lid. Cuttings went down around the beginning of summer and the propagation unit was kept in a shaded protected area on our verandah, away from harsh sun and wind. What did I do wrong?

[Bretts]

I understand bottom heat is only advantageous when it is higher than the atmospheric heat. So I could be wrong but my understanding is that in Summer there is no use for bottom heat in propagation.
In any even I am pretty sure there is an optimum heat range and unless you had a thematic control with the heat mat then it may have been too hot using it in summer.

[shibui]

Bretts is correct that bottom heat is only effective when it heats the base of the cuttings rather than the top. The reptile heat pads work for some growers even without a thermostat because they are limited by the rated wattage - not much use if it cooks your lizards on a hot day! so they can only produce limited amount of heat. Roots form pretty quickly in summer anyway so I would turn it off as soon as the weather warms up a bit anyway.

I grow thousands of cuttings without any bottom heat though striking is pretty slow in winter. Roots on many species in 10-14 days over the last couple of months.

Shane there's 2 or 3 possibilities from your description of troubles. Most likely not enough air movement and/or humidity too high which encourages fungal problems. The 2nd possibility is light. Cuttings strike best with plenty of light but because sunlight also has heat we need to strike a balance between light and heat so most growers opt for very light shade. Good sunlight also deters fungal problems. Did you use a sterile propagating mix? Using potting mix or compost will introduce lots of pathogens into the ideal conditions to breed and multiply. Another possibility is temp too high. I think those units are unregulated so adding extra heat on a warm day might just bring the temp up too high?
Next time you could try a more sterile environment. Wash all your equipment, trays and pots in diluted bleach to clean them. Also dip the cutting material in the same solution for 10 -15 seconds then rinse under fresh water before making your cuttings. The bleach solution will kill most fungus and pests that might be lurking on the plants. If your cutting mix is not straight out of a bag then it should also be sterilised before use. I put 2 litre container in the microwave for 10 min which should heat it above sterilising temp - make sure you let it cool down before handling or using it!

Luke, As I mentioned I grow many cuttings successfully without bottom heat. I'd try to get other aspects of the cutting system right before worrying about heating. I reckon automatic misting is probably a better investment than bottom heat. As well as keeping the humidity up the mist around the foliage cools the air so in effect it keeps the tops of the cuttings cooler than the base which is the aim of bottom heat anyway. I made the balance arm and controls for mine for only a few dollars.
I usually pot cuttings when the roots appear out the bottom of the cutting pot. If left too long in the cutting mix they start to starve because there's (shouldn't be!) no nutrients. They will usually survive with just a trace of roots so pot up everything that has roots but the smaller the roots the easier it is to break them off.

[Pup]

My I have for years used a mixture of small crushed gravel and coco peat at 50/50. I then use a polystyrene box it keeps the soil at an ambient temperature. Do not forget the drainage.

In winter I use cling film to keep in the temperature, in summer the top is left open. I know these boxes are not very asthetic but it works at a strike rate of 90%.

If you are just doing it on a small scale, obviouly not practical for large scale projects. It is good for both seed and cuttings, seeds I do not grow but my sons and girls boyfriends do after seeing my set up tried it, said thanks??.

As I said my Pup

[Luke308]

I made the balance arm and controls for mine for only a few dollars.

I would be interested in seeing a picture of your set up if you dont mind? I have only been misting mine before and after work, so an automated system sounds good. I just potted up some of the tridents because I could see roots in the bottom of the pot. So I guess I was on the right track after all

Thanks for you advice though

[astroboy76]

I tried my hand at a heating mat and found it didn't work. The cuttings rotted quicker. I think due to high atmospheric temp. The point of heating mats is to make the soil temp higher than the air temp. This is meant to focus growth at the roots instead of foliage. I have heard some people putting the cutting tray in top of their fridge to gain this effect as well.

I have found I have the greatest success not using heated trays and as stated earlier, humidity is more important than bottom heat.

When taking cuttings, take them early in the morning and preferably from the lower sides of the parent tree. Lower branch cuttings have a lower "age" than cuttings taken from the apex of the tree. This younger age means a higher chance of rooting. Some commercial growers take a cutting, grow it for a year or two then use this cutting as a parent tree to ensure a higher strike rate.

I find using a foam fruit box with holes cut in the bottom works best. Take cuttings between 4 and 6 inches long. Diagonal cut at the bottom. All leaves removed but the top two ( if a tip cutting, pinch the growth tip out too). If the tops two leaves are large I cut them in half. I don't use any rooting hormones.

In the bottom of the foam box I place about 5 inches or damp potting mix. I stuck the cuttings in ensuring at least two nodes are under the soil. Then I water in lightly and cover the whole top of the box with cling wrap and tape the sides down.

I have had great success with this method. Maybe 60 to 70 percent. Just ensure the foam box is kept in the shade. Direct sun will fry them

[Shane Martin]

thanks everyone for all the info...... makes complete sense now. I think i fried them and the airflow around them wasn't there as the boxes were enclosed. So no air flow as well as high humidity = fungal disease and I really should have known that.
So thx again

[Damian Bee]

Get an eyefull of this...http://www.sagehort.com.au/product/cate ... ropagation

[Craig]

Hi guys, I am looking for opinions on heated seed trays or propagation mats. I have tried my hand at cuttings, and only had mild success (about 25%) and from what I understand using bottom heat improves strike rates.

I had a quick look on ebay, and at the big green shed, and both seemed rather pricey. Is there somewhere that stocks these for a reasonable price? Or is there a DIY alternative to build my own? I already have a seed tray with the clear plastic lid (Yates brand) but even that was $30. I'd be interested in hearing what others use for cutting propagation.

The only real success with cuttings I have had is with Tridents at about 60% strike rate. The other question is how long should I leave them to establish roots before potting-up into something bigger than a tube/seedling pot?
Thanks guys

G'day Luke , this is on a fairly large scale for yamadori, but matbe a scaled down version would be suitable for what your doing.

http://www.animabonsai.com/2012/02/heating-bed/