Heat mat necessity?

NCTIM · January 29, 2007

This is will be my first real attempt at starting peppers from seed.

Will I be ok without using a heat mat or should I really get one?

Thanks

Tim

wilderness1989 · January 30, 2007

I've been growing peppers and tomatoes for years and all I use is my personal heating pad. Put it in an open plastic bag to protect from water and check the soil temp with a thermometer, I set mine on low and it works great. If you use heat the seeds will germinate faster and better....use the heat!

blatanna · January 30, 2007

For the past two years i did'nt use a heat mat and my seed had to be sown late in the season. Consequently with our short summers i never felt i got the best from my peppers. Last year i used a heated prapogator and coulf'nt believe the difference.
I say, go for it, it will make a vast improvement in getting them off to a flying start.

NCTIM · January 30, 2007

Thanks for the replies.

I will use some sort of bottom heat until a good portion of the seed come up.

Tim

velikipop · January 30, 2007

Tim,

Just be careful not too cook your seedlings. I used a Jiffy mat without temperature regulation and it cooked the seeds. I was pre sprouting them in a baggy and put it directly on top of the mat. Now I wrap them in towel and put them in a plastic tray on top of the mat. The temperature is about 85 degrees.

jdwhitaker · January 30, 2007

Room temperature (70-75 degrees) has worked well for me with all peppers except the tepin/pequin types which don't want to germinate unless given extra heat.

Jason

cmpman1974 · January 31, 2007

I highly recommend using bottom heat. I use a method where I suspend a 40 watt light bulb (incandescent) or two inside a cardboard box. The top of box is cut off and a piece of plexiglass sits on the top. I put my trays on top of the plexiglass. Great way to generate cheap heat. The only cheaper way is a water heater, cable box, etc. but these don't give as much room to place flats.

I get 85-90% germination on most peppers. I'm happy with this strategy. This is my 3rd year. I have much better success doing this than factory heat mats because my temps are higher. I grow many hard to germinate types.

Chris

NCTIM · January 31, 2007

That's a great idea Chris. I've got some plexiglass on hand so i think I'll try something similar.

Thank you all for the advice.

Tim

cmpman1974 · January 31, 2007

Check out the pictures I posted on my photo album. I hope you'll find this useful. A picture sometimes says a thousand words.

http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Pics/?start=48

Chris

NCTIM · January 31, 2007

Super pictures Chris. Thank you for sharing them.
I am going try your idea.

Have you ever watched Macgyver?

Tim

velikipop · January 31, 2007

Chris,
Looks like your set up works great. I love the use of books as elevators. Many of my books serve the same purpose. BTW, your Nagas look great. How long did it take for them to germinate? I started mine three weeks ago and nothing yet!!

Alex

Love2Troll · January 31, 2007

Chris,

I like your germination box. Hmmm... looks kinda familiar. My first one was a tall cardboard box and I could close the top flaps. Wooden dowels through the sides to support seed tray. A string of Christmas tree lights in a tin pie pan for the heat. Just add or remove bulbs for control. Next one had a #10 tin can that housed a light socket with 25 watt bulb. Wired in a cheapo rheostat for temp control.

In the pharmacy dept of Wal*Mart are heating pads with 3 temperature settings. That's what I use now.

Placing seed tray on top of fluorescent fixtures works better than nothing. As seeds germinate move them to under the lights of course.

86°F is what I shoot for.

JohnF is the germination expert.

JohnT

cdntomato · January 31, 2007

Agreed that JF is an expert grower, but per usual you are being too modest, jt.

Hugs and more hugs,
Jeffner

Great set-up, Chris!!!

GrowSeeds · January 31, 2007

Kinda OT
But does any one know if you pre-soak seeds in a weak tea soultion with fish solution for 12 or 18 hours helps in germination?

montanamato · January 31, 2007

I have used a very old heating pad with 3 settings for the last 5 or 6 years...Before that I used only the heat from the windows on the plastic over the trays...I had pretty good luck back then too, but I now grow a lot of different types and they sure germinate closer to the same time with the heating pad....I would not be afraid to try w/o additional heat ...especially if a warmer room in the house could be used.

Jeanne

January 30, 2007	#2
wilderness1989 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 5b - Effingham, Illinois Posts: 59	I've been growing peppers and tomatoes for years and all I use is my personal heating pad. Put it in an open plastic bag to protect from water and check the soil temp with a thermometer, I set mine on low and it works great. If you use heat the seeds will germinate faster and better....use the heat! __________________ I'm from the government and I'm here to help you. ;-)

January 30, 2007	#3
blatanna Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 150	Heat mat. For the past two years i did'nt use a heat mat and my seed had to be sown late in the season. Consequently with our short summers i never felt i got the best from my peppers. Last year i used a heated prapogator and coulf'nt believe the difference. I say, go for it, it will make a vast improvement in getting them off to a flying start. __________________ Blatanna

January 30, 2007	#4
NCTIM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: zone 8 NC Posts: 286	Thanks for the replies. I will use some sort of bottom heat until a good portion of the seed come up. Tim __________________ "You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra

January 30, 2007	#5
velikipop Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Langley, BC Posts: 768	Tim, Just be careful not too cook your seedlings. I used a Jiffy mat without temperature regulation and it cooked the seeds. I was pre sprouting them in a baggy and put it directly on top of the mat. Now I wrap them in towel and put them in a plastic tray on top of the mat. The temperature is about 85 degrees. __________________ I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf Bob Dylan

January 31, 2007	#7
cmpman1974 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Michigan - Zone 6B Posts: 136	Heat I highly recommend using bottom heat. I use a method where I suspend a 40 watt light bulb (incandescent) or two inside a cardboard box. The top of box is cut off and a piece of plexiglass sits on the top. I put my trays on top of the plexiglass. Great way to generate cheap heat. The only cheaper way is a water heater, cable box, etc. but these don't give as much room to place flats. I get 85-90% germination on most peppers. I'm happy with this strategy. This is my 3rd year. I have much better success doing this than factory heat mats because my temps are higher. I grow many hard to germinate types. Chris

January 29, 2007	#1
NCTIM Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: zone 8 NC Posts: 286	Heat mat necessity? This is will be my first real attempt at starting peppers from seed. Will I be ok without using a heat mat or should I really get one? Thanks Tim __________________ "You can observe a lot by just watching." - Yogi Berra

January 30, 2007	#6
jdwhitaker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Andrews, Texas Posts: 104	Room temperature (70-75 degrees) has worked well for me with all peppers except the tepin/pequin types which don't want to germinate unless given extra heat. Jason

January 31, 2007	#9
cmpman1974 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Michigan - Zone 6B Posts: 136	Pic of Set-Up Check out the pictures I posted on my photo album. I hope you'll find this useful. A picture sometimes says a thousand words. http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Pics/?start=48 Chris

January 31, 2007	#12
Love2Troll Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 64079 (Missouri) Posts: 252	Chris, I like your germination box. Hmmm... looks kinda familiar. My first one was a tall cardboard box and I could close the top flaps. Wooden dowels through the sides to support seed tray. A string of Christmas tree lights in a tin pie pan for the heat. Just add or remove bulbs for control. Next one had a #10 tin can that housed a light socket with 25 watt bulb. Wired in a cheapo rheostat for temp control. In the pharmacy dept of Wal*Mart are heating pads with 3 temperature settings. That's what I use now. Placing seed tray on top of fluorescent fixtures works better than nothing. As seeds germinate move them to under the lights of course. 86°F is what I shoot for. JohnF is the germination expert. JohnT

January 31, 2007	#13
cdntomato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kingston, Ontario Posts: 554	Agreed that JF is an expert grower, but per usual you are being too modest, jt. Hugs and more hugs, Jeffner Great set-up, Chris!!!

January 31, 2007	#14
GrowSeeds Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Somewhere in the Universe on planet Earth in the USA in Alabama - zone 8 Posts: 113	Kinda OT But does any one know if you pre-soak seeds in a weak tea soultion with fish solution for 12 or 18 hours helps in germination?

January 31, 2007	#15
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	I have used a very old heating pad with 3 settings for the last 5 or 6 years...Before that I used only the heat from the windows on the plastic over the trays...I had pretty good luck back then too, but I now grow a lot of different types and they sure germinate closer to the same time with the heating pad....I would not be afraid to try w/o additional heat ...especially if a warmer room in the house could be used. Jeanne