In the world of indoor gardening, we often face an initial question: What are propagators? How do they differ from other grow tents, and what are they actually used for? The biggest difference lies in their size, which determines their practical use. That is why today we will focus on the smallest grow tents, which are used mainly for germinating seeds, raising seedlings and propagating plants when growing at home.

Using propagators for the safe cultivation of plants in the early stages of development, in other words before you transplant them into a classic grow tent (indoor) or perhaps into a garden bed (outdoor), will certainly help you achieve excellent results, so that the reward for all your care for the plants is nothing less than a rich harvest full of colour, flavour and fragrance. Why?

It is simple. Propagators, such as the new product from the legendary Dutch grow tent manufacturer Mammoth, which we chose for the main image, provide young plants with an optimal and controlled growing environment precisely when things can still become more complicated from the grower's point of view. All the more so if you are just starting with cultivation, whether at home or outdoors. It is no secret that the youngest plants are still very susceptible to diseases or pest attacks. That is why an experienced grower knows that at the beginning of the growing cycle, which can be especially important when growing plants indoor several times a year, there is nothing better than a well-equipped propagator.

Our TIP: Every home grower who likes to save time and money will appreciate the popular small propagation set. It already contains everything you need to put it into operation. In the product description you will also find further recommended equipment for growing in a propagator, i.e. for the highest possible success rate when germinating seeds and rooting young plants quickly, so that they have a perfect foundation for the next stages of development right from the start and are sufficiently developed and vigorous before transplanting. Propagation sets, such as the one in the picture, can also be customised to your needs.

This brings us smoothly to the answer to the question of what to equip a propagator with:

1. Artificial lighting source for propagators

• As a grow light for a propagator, most growers choose mainly TLED lamps - grow lights with a growth spectrum based on energy-saving lamps (CFL), but you can also use energy-saving lamps.
• Quality TLED lighting or a CFL lamp in a propagator, as a small and enclosed growing space, emits enough light with a blue-white spectrum that stimulates plant growth and at the same time is characterised by minimal electricity use and heat emissions.
• The fact that so-called energy-saving lamps and especially TLED lamps for seedling lighting emit only a minimum of heat is essential so that there are not excessively high temperatures inside a small propagator without a fan, which would have a negative impact on the development of young plants.
• Proper seedling lighting, or cloning lighting, must have a higher colour temperature. You can later use this type of plant lighting later in the vegetative phase as the main light source if, for home herb growing, a small grow tent is enough for you, or for supplementary lighting of shaded areas if you use a large growbox or a medium-sized growbox. It can also be used beyond germination, cloning or cuttings, for houseplants placed in darker locations, or for overwintering plants.
• Growers have excellent experience with propagators, especially when it comes to TLED lighting from the Secret Jardin brand, or try VF TLED. 20W Secret Jardin Cosmorrow® offers, in addition to the required light spectrum, extreme resistance to impact and water, as illustrated by the next image.

Our TIP: 100W full-spectrum supplementary Lumatek BAR 2.9. LED lamp with its own ballast from the British brand Lumatek is among the new products for supplementary lighting of plants or direct lighting of seedlings. It is simply suitable wherever a universal standalone grow LED bar is needed. At the same time, it serves as a perfect primary light source in small growing spaces, and is therefore also very suitable for propagators, which makes it a modern LED seedling lighting with high real efficiency even for the most demanding customers. Recommended!

2. Timers for propagators

• Switching the lighting in the propagator on and off is reliably handled by mechanical timers.

• A more sophisticated option is digital timers, which you will later use more effectively indoors for reliable and convenient switching on/off of even a larger number of grow lights in a classic grow tent or growing room.

Our TIP: TechGrow timers: a different league of switching!

3. Propagation medium and mini greenhouse (cloche)

• You may already know that seedlings inside a growing space, which in this case is a propagator, require significantly higher relative humidity than more mature plants. In figures, up to 80%. If you do not ensure sufficient humidity inside the propagator when germinating seeds or raising seedlings, you cannot count on success. How can such an environment be created? It is easy with a cloche, which in the world of cultivation and gardening is often also called a mini greenhouse.
• Furthermore, you need to use a propagation medium (propagation cubes and Jiffy) or propagation substrate, with good absorption properties, so that vigorous plants emerge from the seeds and can later handle the stress associated with transplanting. That is why an elegant solution is offered by the set from ROOT!T, which specialises in cuttings and cloning. This discounted propagation set includes, in addition to a medium-sized cloche with a transparent lid and ventilation flaps, also quality, purely natural propagation medium including propagation plugs, and even the first plant nutrition and a unique stimulating product that helps young plants develop strong roots right from the start.

4. Devices for measuring temperature and humidity in a propagator

• The microclimate inside the propagator needs to be monitored. A reliable metre will help you with this. Get one that can measure both temperature and humidity accurately. An ideal device for measuring temperature and humidity in a propagator is, for example, the temperature and humidity metre (VF), which is also a standard part of the above-mentioned propagation set.

5. Suitable nutrition for seedlings and cuttings 

• Now that you know how to create ideal conditions for seedlings and cuttings, it would be a shame not to support them with nutrition made specifically for the youngest plants. Here is therefore one “secret” recipe for successful germination and vigorous growth of your seedlings, which will soon develop a healthy, strong and robust root system: Shogun Start. The calculator directly from the manufacturer will help you dose the product precisely.

Our TIP: Shogun Fertilisers has not been on the Czech market for long, so you may not yet know this manufacturer. If you are among growers who try to stay up to date and do not miss any proper new product, be sure to read the separate article, which is not just about the youngest plants: SHOGUN: the best British fertilisers with an emphasis on research.

Comparison of propagators

Finally, we will take a more detailed look at the individual variants of standalone propagators, regardless of which complete growing equipment you ultimately choose for them.

We have explained why greenhouses and cloches are used in plant propagators. In a way, both of these elements are combined by the robust mini greenhouses / propagators HGA Garden.

From classic propagators, whose construction and workmanship already draw on grow tents in terms of the materials used, we recommend in particular the following propagators:

• Dark Propagator: the professional propagator from the renowned French brand Secret Jardin is among the absolute top products in the category of small grow boxes for pre-growing and cloning plants. How many clones would you like? DP60 and DP90 are perfectly made and affordable cloning mini laboratories. If you want the same workmanship with a larger growing space, choose DP120, consisting of a floor, 3 cultivation levels and 2 shelves for storing cuttings. This model is also among the largest.

• Among larger propagators, the five-tier PROBOX propagators are increasingly sought after:
• XL variant allows the cultivation of almost 1,500 young plants! At the same time, you can pre-grow different varieties or genetics from seed in one propagator. 
• L variant is cheaper and offers half the capacity across 5 tiers, which still means up to 720 successfully pre-grown seedlings.
• The PROBOX range from the renowned grow tent manufacturer Garden HighPro is also complemented by handy smaller propagators in the M and S variants.
• Mammoth Propagator 125 has three removable shelves and, above all, an absolutely opaque single-layer shell. The base is also removable, and the overall construction of these “mammoth” propagators corresponds to the parameters of grow boxes from the LITE+ series.

Do you have any further questions about propagators? Do not hesitate to contact us via the e-mail address info@higarden.eu, where we will also be happy to advise you both on choosing a propagator you will really use and on selecting suitable equipment.

We also recommend these products:

• ROOT!T rooting sponge / propagation cube
• Clonex Mist 750 ml with spray bottle
• Cloning systems

What to read next:

• How can you recognise quality seeds?
• ROOT!T for taking and propagating cuttings
• Tissue cultures and micropropagation. The future of plant propagation?