Re: Okay, serious stuff

For my setup in my family room, I plug the timer in the bottom recepticle of
the wall socket; the top still accomodates a regular room lamp.  I plug the
powerstrip into the timer.  That way the powerstrip can handle 5 shoplights.
I bring another powerstrip from another timer on a different wall into which
I plug the heat mats.  Two of my heat mats have those big bulky plugs that,
as you mentioned, prevent use of all sockets. One has a regular plug.

The highest shoplight's cord doesn't reach the powerstrip so I use an heavy
duty appliance extension cord to make it reach.  I know all of this is
probably making Donna cringe, but it has worked fine for years.

Kitty
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Johnson Cyndi D Civ AFFTC/ITSR" <cyndi.johnson@edwards.af.mil>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 9:43 AM
Subject: RE: [CHAT] Okay, serious stuff


> Yes, I already have one of those. It's a little one though. You know how
big
> those timers are, you plug it into one space but it's so big you can't
plug
> anything in next to it. So two of those take up four outlets on the surge
> protector. I looked at some other ways to arrange it but can't come up
with
> anything that doesn't involve cables draped over half the workbench.
> I know I could get bigger mats, or heating cables, but I just haven't
> wrapped my mind around the idea that I want to spend more on the setup.
The
> little heat mats are pretty cheap, comparatively speaking, so I just
muddle
> through. I only start tomatoes and peppers, and a couple herbs, inside. If
I
> ever get motivated I'd also like to do my annual flowers. Maybe lettuces.
> Salad season is pretty short here.
>
> Cyndi
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf
> Of james singer
> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 2:35 AM
> To: gardenchat@hort.net
> Subject: Re: [CHAT] Okay, serious stuff
>
>
> Cyndi, consider plugging a surge bar into the timer and heating pads
> into the surge bar.
>
> On Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at 11:59 AM, Johnson Cyndi D Civ AFFTC/ITSR
> wrote:
>
> > I have a little setup for starting seeds in my greenhouse with a
> > couple heat
> > mats. I don't put anything between the heat mats and the wood; if it
> > got hot
> > enough to hurt the wood I would have cooked seeds for sure. I have been
> > using the plastic trays without drain holes to put peat pots in. That
> > way I
> > can water from underneath until the seedlings are up and ready to be
> > moved
> > out. I like the idea of the foil trays, though, the plastic trays tend
> > to
> > crack after a couple of seasons and replacing them with the aluminum
> > would
> > be easier.
> > My problem is that I really only need the heat on during the night. The
> > greenhouse is plenty warm enough during the day so I have timers on
> > the mats
> > to turn them on in the evening. I don't have enough power outlets
> > available
> > to plug in more than two timers so I'm limited in the number of seeds
> > I can
> > start. I suspect there are better ways to do this but I'm cheap enough
> > that
> > I don't want to spend a hundred bucks or so to get a more flexible
> > system
> > (this is probably one of those "penny-wise pound-foolish" cases).
> > I also don't have lights over the seed trays pretty much for the same
> > reason. That seems to work out okay, although I'm sure they would grow
> > a
> > little faster with the extra hours of light.
> > I don't put any cover over the trays either, the water at the bottom
> > keeps
> > everything sufficiently wet. I do have to remember to check every day
> > and
> > make sure they're not drying out.
> >
> > Cyndi
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
> > Behalf
> > Of james singer
> > Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 12:17 PM
> > To: Chat
> > Subject: [CHAT] Okay, serious stuff
> >
> >
> > I think I'm going to clean up a big part of my garage workbench and
> > install a seed-starting station. I've got seed beds outdoors for big
> > stuff, like palms and loquats, but no really good place to start small
> > seeds--peppers and cacti and such.
> >
> > The bench has fluorescent shop lights overhead and they can be altered
> > so they can be lowered and raised as need be.
> >
> > The top of the bench is 2-inch by 12-inch pine/fir planks. I want to
> > lay down heating mats or heating coils. What, if anything, should I
> > put between the mats or coils and the wooden planks?
> >
> > I think I will put something like cookie sheets, the kind that are
> > shallow pans, on top of the mats/coils so I can control both
> > irrigation and humidity. I do not intend to enclose the growing medium
> > [some variation on peat pots, unless someone has a better idea] in a
> > tent or one of those little "greenhouses" since the garage never gets
> > below 50 degrees.
> >
> > What else do I need to consider? What would you do differently? I've
> > never started seedlings indoors before [bet it shows, eh?].
> >
> > What say ye?
> >
> > Island Jim
> > Southwest Florida
> > 27.0 N, 82.4 W
> > Hardiness Zone 10
> > Heat Zone 10
> > Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
> > Maximum 100 F [38 C]
> >
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> >
> Island Jim
> Southwest Florida
> 27.0 N, 82.4 W
> Hardiness Zone 10
> Heat Zone 10
> Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
> Maximum 100 F [38 C]
>
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