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Re: Heating cables How To?

Souliere <souliere@binary.net> wrote:

> Hello All!

> Last year I started my seeds indoors to soon.  But because of my
> cool basement temperatures germination took up to 4 times as long
> as indicated on the package.  Which I guess was good last year,
> started too early then a cool wet spring...

Not everything prefers heat (some seeds must be kept cool to germinate)
but most do and keeping the temperature up 24 hours a day makes a huge
difference.  I often get germination within 48 hours using a cable set
at 85-90°F.

> This year I picked up some heating cables to heat my seedling area.
> But the trays I have been using plastic drip trays with 6 packs on top
> are specifically indicated as a not to do by the cable maker.

Your trays have holes in the bottom??

> Those of you who warm start your plants, who do you do it what
> kind of trays do you use.  Or should I just make a few wooden flats?

I made a propagation "chamber" in my greenhouse.  It is a piece of plywood,
cut down to fit the space I had underneath a raised bench, with sides built
up on it using 1x2" (I ripped a 1x4" in half to make this, but I think you
can buy 1x2" at the lumber yard).  I set my heating cable in, running it back
and forth to fill the area (the lengths are about 6" apart).  I recommend
loosely affixing it in place with small "U" nails, or fencing nails.  This
keeps it from getting pushed around when moving trays in and out.  Then I
filled the area with clean sand, covering the cable about 1" or so.  I set
trays right on the sand without any problem.  I use standard 1020 plastic
trays without drainage holes so I can bottom water flats set in the trays.
If water gets on the sand it's no big deal, it just dries out.  It doesn't
effect the cable at all, or the plastic trays.  The cable doesn't ever get
hot, just nicely warm.  The cable I use doesn't have a built in thermostat,
so I have a standalone thermostat the cable plugs into.  It has a sensor that
I put in the sand to maintain the temperature.  Around all this is a wrapping
of that foil covered bubble plastic stuff (I forget what it's called) that
you see water heaters wrapped in. This helps keep the heat in, my greenhouse
is otherwise on the cool side. Florescents are suspended from the underneath
of the bench above.  A fan in there is a good idea too, air circulation goes
a long way to keeping things from damping off.  Works like the dickens for me!
:-)

> Thanks in Advance.

> Ron Souliere  (lincoln NE,  Last frost date 15 may)

You're welcome Ron, good luck with it.

Cheers!

--
 Bob Carter  -  bcarter@awinc.com
 Kootenay Bay, BC, Canada  -  Zone 6b
--

"The Earth is like a tiny grain of sand, only much bigger." --Dan Quayle

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