Heat Mat

Does the heat mat stay on at night or do I turn it off to simulate night temps for new seeds just planted? Have no idea what temps the unsprouted seeds want... and just spent 1/2 hour forum searching for this answer I give up!

llama momma wrote:Does the heat mat stay on at night or do I turn it off to simulate night temps for new seeds just planted? Have no idea what temps the unsprouted seeds want... and just spent 1/2 hour forum searching for this answer I give up!

Leave it on until the seeds sprout.

Thank you very much, I should have just posted the dang question 1/2 hour ago....

Hey, this saved me from doing the same search!!!!!   I just got mine in yesterday and I didn't know if they stay on all the time or turn off and now I know.    I am hoping that this will help my pepper germination.   Last year I realized that I just don't keep a warm enough house for them to sprout.

That's the beauty of this forum, helping each other out

+1!!!!!

I'm grateful for the input from everyone!

My heat mat set up plugs into a plug in adjustable thermostat which plugs in to the wall mounted  power socket .
The thermostat's sensing probe is on the end of a 6 foot long cable and is placed between the loops of the heat mat . Is your set up like this or is yours on all the time with out you having any control over the temperature settings  or is it controlled by an air sensing thermostat ?

Last 2 seasons I used a crock pot filled with water, set on low, to warm seed area. A nice rack from Lowes, wheels, plastic wrapped around, completely closed at night, regular lamp fixtures.
Opened the front during the day, when I went to bed the lights went out and cover closed.
I'll keep this method

llama momma wrote:That's the beauty of this forum, helping each other out

I second and third and fourth that!!

awesome set up jimmy cee

OUCH!! (I slapped my forehead too hard!) What a great idea- I might just do like you did and have a nice temporary green house to get the jump on Spring planting- Thanks for the idea

jimmy cee wrote:Last 2 seasons I used a crock pot filled with water, set on low, to warm seed area. A nice rack from Lowes, wheels, plastic wrapped around, completely closed at night, regular lamp fixtures.
Opened the front during the day, when I went to bed the lights went out and cover closed.
I'll keep this method

Sweet!

I like that set up Jimmy , just like the inside of a hot humid butterfly farm .

I dare not do that for the high humidity & condensate would cause our very sensitive earth leakage electrical trips to operate as we run at 240 volts not at the 110 voltage of the US system .

I wouldn't mind trying it if I had fully sealed light fittings though.

plantoid wrote:I like that set up Jimmy , just like the inside of a hot humid butterfly farm .

I dare not do that for the high humidity & condensate would cause our very sensitive earth leakage electrical trips to operate as we run at 240 volts not at the 110 voltage of the US system .

I wouldn't mind trying it if I had fully sealed light fittings though.

I never gave that a thought, could you not reduce your 240 to 120 ?
or maybe open it up a bit as to control humidity ?
I'm connected to 15 amp breakers through heavy duty extension cords.
Besides, I only leave it enclosed at night , open during the day.

I tried Jimmy Cee's crock pot greenhouse last spring. I have one of those shelf green houses on my screened in porch.  It gets midday sun.  I put plants in the little green house and set the crockpot on low when I went to bed and turned it off in the morning.

yolos wrote:I tried Jimmy Cee's crock pot greenhouse last spring. I have one of those shelf green houses on my screened in porch.  It gets midday sun.  I put plants in the little green house and set the crockpot on low when I went to bed and turned it off in the morning.

hmm, this is getting me more interested in doing this next year. seem simple enough.

jimmy cee wrote:

plantoid wrote:I like that set up Jimmy , just like the inside of a hot humid butterfly farm .

I dare not do that for the high humidity & condensate would cause our very sensitive earth leakage electrical trips to operate as we run at 240 volts not at the 110 voltage of the US system .

I wouldn't mind trying it if I had fully sealed light fittings though.

I never gave that a thought, could you not reduce your 240 to 120 ?
or maybe open it up a bit as to control humidity ?
I'm connected to 15 amp breakers through heavy duty extension cords.
Besides, I only leave it enclosed at night , open during the day.

Yes I have a 110 volt transformer but the strip lights run at 240 volt .
 I suppose some of my white daylight direct plug in LED lights could be used as they don't need earthing & everything on some of the models are sealed up bathroom shower room capable  so moisture cannot get in .

Santa (oops! ... I mean Mrs TD) has mentioned the possibility of a seed germination heat mat appearing under our Christmas tree for a certain gardener who has been very good this year. 


My current thinking is that a 10" x 20" mat would be OK for my needs. I'm not sure if I will need a thermostat to control it and which would cost more than the mat. As usual these things are more expensive here in Canada than in the USA even after considering the exchange rate.

Here is the one I am considering from Amazon Canada.

https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Durable-Waterproof-Seedling-Hydroponic/dp/B00P7U259C/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1481862462&sr=1-1&keywords=heat+mat

Comments???

TD in the link you've given , one of the pictures says , " If you want temperature control you can also buy our temperature controller ".


 That leads me to think you ought to only use it if you are in attendance just in case it gets too hot & causes a fire.

 This side of the pond we can go to a pet shop & buy reptile ( Vivarium ) tank heating  pads that plug in to a separate externally sited timer & thermostat plug socket .  Are they available near you ?


 I ended up making my own controler using the UK Amazon version  this that is onn the Canadian Amazon 
Temperature Controller Thermostat for Aquarium, terrarium, vivarium, incubators and paludariums / -50 Degrees Fahrenheit - 110 Degrees Fahrenheit adjustable including English manual.
 

I put it in a plastic box used stress relief grometts for cable & probe , adding an external flylead poeer socket  & a 12 foot long power cord lead in and added a fly lead outlet plug socket .

 The advantage of this sort of controller is that it can be set so it retains the memory of programming . The hysteresis ( timing , ranges & sequences ) can be set remarkably accurately & for just a few seconds if needed.

 Being a separate stand alone unit  I can use it to drive a cheap home made dehydrator as well , when the need arises

jimmy cee wrote:Last 2 seasons I used a crock pot filled with water, set on low, to warm seed area. A nice rack from Lowes, wheels, plastic wrapped around, completely closed at night, regular lamp fixtures.
Opened the front during the day, when I went to bed the lights went out and cover closed.
I'll keep this method

What a great idea. Crock pots are "dirt cheap" at yard sales.

trolleydriver wrote:Santa (oops! ... I mean Mrs TD) has mentioned the possibility of a seed germination heat mat appearing under our Christmas tree for a certain gardener who has been very good this year. 


My current thinking is that a 10" x 20" mat would be OK for my needs. I'm not sure if I will need a thermostat to control it and which would cost more than the mat. As usual these things are more expensive here in Canada than in the USA even after considering the exchange rate.

Here is the one I am considering from Amazon Canada.

https://www.amazon.ca/VIVOSUN-Durable-Waterproof-Seedling-Hydroponic/dp/B00P7U259C/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1481862462&sr=1-1&keywords=heat+mat

Comments???

Looks like the one I have. I just plug it in and forget about it. 

Question:  If I have the lighting setup, do I need the mat too?  This will be my first year starting my own seeds instead of purchasing plants.  I have no idea what I'm doing.      Thanks...

Mellen wrote:Question:  If I have the lighting setup, do I need the mat too?  This will be my first year starting my own seeds instead of purchasing plants.  I have no idea what I'm doing.      Thanks...

Generally speaking, the answer is no.

It depends on 
- the type of seeds you want to start
- the temperature in the room where the lights are located

Some seeds need warm soil temps to get started and then cooler temps to keep growing. Last year I successfully started tomatoes, peppers, and a bunch of other things in our basement furnace/workshop room without a heat mat. The temperature in that room is about 72F. Most things will germinate at non-optimal temperatures, even those that prefer higher temps, but they may take a long time to germinate and the percentage of seeds that germinate may be lower.

If a warmer soil temp is needed then some people put their seed starting trays in a warmer location such as on top of an appliance (e.g., refrigerator) that radiates heat.  I have a flat top heating duct in my workshop that I could use by putting a tray on top of it. But it gets hot will need a spacer and careful monitoring of soil temps.

There are temperature tables on the Internet such as those in the following article:

http://www.growgreatvegetables.com/plantinggrowing/germination/

Mellen wrote:Question:  If I have the lighting setup, do I need the mat too?  This will be my first year starting my own seeds instead of purchasing plants.  I have no idea what I'm doing.      Thanks...

That depends on whether or not you have an enclosed area. Even with my crock pot on, when lights go out temperature drops a bit. I personally consider a heat mat a rip off, I know many use them with success,, however I like plants to grow as naturally as possible. Yes I know using an enclosed area isn't natural, along with a pot for artificial heat. Doing this, however gives same temperatures above seeds where foliage is, as in seeds areas.
Plants are living, breathing, eating creatures, communicating with the outside world in the way they only know.
Since reading this book once, I have gained  an entirely different view of what I thought before.
Getting back to your question on a heat mat. Try using it with and without, your growing conditions are probably  different than others..

trolleydriver wrote:

Mellen wrote:Question:  If I have the lighting setup, do I need the mat too?  This will be my first year starting my own seeds instead of purchasing plants.  I have no idea what I'm doing.      Thanks...

There are temperature tables on the Internet such as those in the following article:

http://www.growgreatvegetables.com/plantinggrowing/germination/

Thanks for that link TD.  Great soil and air temperature tables.