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Re: Soil Heating Cables

This is the experience I had this year with the cable.  I bought a
12-foot one to heat flats under grow lights.  The instructions say to
bury cable in soil, etc.  I couldn't do that with 30 various flats.
So I got a pine board, laid it across the seed stand and covered it
with an old asbesto ironing board cover.  I heated the cable (plugged
it in) so that the wire was pliable and stretched it across the board
and back.  Instructions say not to let wires cross.  I made sure that
the thermostat was positioned in the center of the board.  I put shallow
plastic pans on top of the cable and placed all the flats and pots in the
pans.  These pans came with the grow lights and stand.  It worked
perfectly.  Soil temps were toasty and tomato seeds germinated within
five days.  The room temperature ran between 55 and 70.  I left the
cable under the plants for a few days after germination, because the
room temps were cold--it was 22 degrees outdoors.  My tomato seedlings
have grown into the sturdiest transplants I've ever seen.  They put
the garden center transplants to shame.  So, I think the heating
cable works well when used as above.  Hope this gives you some
perspective and information.  It was all an experiment to me; I feared
at one point, that I'd destroy something!!! <g>
Doreen
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