Re: Soil warming cables

COMPUTRESE@aol.com wrote:
> 
> To all who use cables:
> 
> During the time I gardened in the Northeast, I only made use of cold frames
> and a small greenhouse to get a jump on the season. The cloches that Joel
> Holland demonstrated on last year's tape impressed me so much, I was prepared
> to use them this year to stave off  surface frost and cold air. Instead, La
> Nina gave us our wonderful winter weather, which is about 85 daytime, 62 at
> night at my latitude in FL. No need for any devices at all.
> 
> Now, when people on the list talk about heating cables, it always confuses me.
> First of all, the ground in the North Country is frozen solid as granite right
> now, and inpenetrable. Does one lay the cable in the fall when the ground is
> soft? Doing so before Spring is impossible without the use of dynamite.
> 
> I would guess that growers lay cable during late March or early April, as soon
> as the ground can be worked, but is still cold and frosty. If the cable is
> buried only 6-8 inches beneath the soil surface, I would surmise that the
> cables could be easily laid in a shallow trench on the soil surface and
> covered with soil or compost to create an effective planting mound. The cables
> would be in place with minimal work allowing the gardener to proceed with
> direct start planting of seeds or seedlings.
> 
> Even though I live in a zone where the ground does not freeze, I would still
> like to know the procedure, including figures on the expense. Do the cables
> use AC current, and if you leave them plugged in, is there risk of overheating
> the soil and damaging your seedlings? Are thermostats utilized? AGs have
> aggressive (but tender) root systems and 6-8 inches of root growth happens
> within the first couple of weeks after seeds germinate.Also, are soil warming
> cables used in conjunction with cloches or other cold frame type devices?
> 
> Please give me the low down. I'm sure others would like to know as well.
> 
> Thanks for your help, as always!
> 
> Barb
> 
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Hi Barb...Since I live in a fairly cold climate, I make my mounds and
lay the heating cables in the fall. That is because when April comes I
have to dig down through 4 feet of snow to find the tops of the mounds.
I make my own cables from heat tracing tape, the kind that every
electrican has and has a temperature rating of 70 degrees. You can make
them any length you want but I normally settle for a 5 or 6 foot
length.  All you have to do is cut the length you want and epoxy the
ends so that the don't touch each other or short out due to water in the
ground.  Heat tracing tape is the same size as house wiring so it is
rugged, easy to lay and reusable year after year.  Electricans usually
have short lengths of this left over after a construction project(at
least up north). Since the temperature of this tape is always constant,
there is no need for a thermostat. 
	As far as loose soil to bury these cables, I find that once the snow is
removed and you lay down a layer of clear plastic, it only takes 2 to 3
sunny days to be able to dig down with your hand to a depth of 16
inches. But to dig down 3 feet and start a new mound would take to long
to thaw and therefore it is easier to build these the previous fall. I
also like to think that even though the ground is frozen, there is still
some soil activity going on throughout the winter to help break down the
layers of leaves, seaweed, straw and manure that I have added the fall
before.....Ken Reinsborough
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