Seed starting mats

[brownrexx]

I have a heat mat without a thermostat and it has never coked anything. It just provides a gentle heat and works great for tomatoes and peppers. It is only used to help germination. The seedlings do not remain on it after that.

I bought it for less than $20 on e-Bay 2 years ago but I have seen them on amazon for less than that this year.

[PaulF]

Most heat mats will only heat to 10degrees F above the ambient temperature (room temp) so there is little chance of cooking the seedlings.

I do have an old waterbed heater with a thermostat that needs to be watched or it will go up to 150 degrees. I melted a plastic tray and plastic pots a couple of years ago along with cooking some peppers. It now has 2"X2" boards on top of the mat so there is air space and the temp is kept at low. Great for getting the peppers up to 90.

[cjp1953]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Cjp. if you drop your seeds off to me I will start them, if I had an extra heat mat to let you borrow I would. let me know if that works for you. I would be happy to do it. Menards had them a few weeks ago at about 15.00. maybe they still have them.

"My Home Depot and Walmart sell the heat mats off the rack for about $25. Thay can cook your tomato babies without a thermostat.

As mentioned in another thread, it helps to put a foam slab, such as a drink cooler lid or a packing material sheet under the pad and cover the top of the tray with a few layers of towels or sweatshirts, etc. to insulate the seed tray. Its been a really cold winter and the heat is going non stop so I have lots of floor space near heat vents and I haven't used my heat mats. A first for me.

- Lisa "

I have never had those heat mats cook my seeds or plants. I have had sunshine cook them, but that is it. I have heat mats with thermostats which can get pretty hot and the plain old black "plug them in ones" and they don't get that hot. if you don't water the trays if they get dry you can kill off newly germinating seeds, though.

I'm growing Long Hot Cayenne,Jalapeno,Nardello and cubinella. With this mat when would it be a good time to start them as we are only 15 miles apart.I will start my tomatoes around April.

[encore]

got some hot pepper seeds germinating in baggies between an old dish towel on the heating mat, put the thermometer between the towel and mat, and then in the towel with the seeds. here's a couple of pictures. when i do tomato seeds i put the plastic trys right on top of heat mats, and trays have a clear plastic lid on them, when seeds start to pop i remove lid and the heat mat. then it's just lights on and fan blowing a few times a day. setup is in the basement,---tom

[encore]

82 degs. in towel with seeds and 95 degs. between mat and towel. i don't leave the thermometer there, was just showing the temperature of those types of mats.---tom

[cjp1953]

I'm going to put the mat on hardwood floors such as your's up in my wife's sowing room.Going to use trays with about 36 cells.Have to buy them today or tomorrow and will look for a clear plastic lid to keep the moisture in.Just not sure when to start them.First time with a heat mat.I plant my garden,tomatoes around the last week of May.Peppers about a week later depending on the night temps.I do have a thermometer I could place on the tray of inside.Great idea.House temp around 70.

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by cjp1953

I'm going to put the mat on hardwood floors such as your's up in my wife's sowing room.Going to use trays with about 36 cells.Have to buy them today or tomorrow and will look for a clear plastic lid to keep the moisture in.Just not sure when to start them.First time with a heat mat.I plant my garden,tomatoes around the last week of May.Peppers about a week later depending on the night temps.I do have a thermometer I could place on the tray of inside.Great idea.House temp around 70.

I'm on the same plant out schedule and I started peppers and eggplants a week ago. Typically I'd start tomatoes at the end of March. But my seedling grow in a 62-65f basement. If yours will be in a warmer environment, they'll grow faster so you could probably wait a bit longer than I do.

And I just use sheets of plastic wrap over the trays then remove it once I see sprouting.

[cjp1953]

I had problems with pepper seeds germinating in my 65 degree basement they took forever to grow and started them in March.Tomatoes grew fine.I'm also starting eggplant with my pepper seeds.

[encore]

mine are actually in basement on growing table madw of plywood and pvc.--tom

[AlittleSalt]

I'm not recommending anyone else do this, but I have used a regular old fashioned heating pad. Three temperatures - high, medium, and low. It worked just fine for me.

[PaulF]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I'm not recommending anyone else do this, but I have used a regular old fashioned heating pad. Three temperatures - high, medium, and low. It worked just fine for me.

I have done that also, but many of the newer heating pads have a turn off switch after so much time. 'Saving us from ourselves' federal safety rules.

[AlittleSalt]

Paul, I should have guessed they make heating pads that way nowadays.

[clkeiper]

Originally Posted by cjp1953

I'm growing Long Hot Cayenne,Jalapeno,Nardello and cubinella. With this mat when would it be a good time to start them as we are only 15 miles apart.I will start my tomatoes around April.

Get them started any day now. from now until the 15th is a good time. after that they are small when you get them in the garden. if they start to get too big-grow them where it is cooler but bright.

[cjp1953]

Thank you,going tomorrow morning and getting some seed cell trays.I'll keep you up on things.Thank you and everyone else for your helpful advice

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by cjp1953

I had problems with pepper seeds germinating in my 65 degree basement they took forever to grow and started them in March.Tomatoes grew fine.I'm also starting eggplant with my pepper seeds.

They won't germinate well at 65, especially peppers. Just to clarify, I only move them to the cooler basement after they germinate. Until then they are up in the dining room on a heating pad (in past years) and heat mats this year.