Tube grafting with 85% success rate. Graphics heavy!

[lycoperson]

Hey Bill, he was asking about *my* grafts, lol!

[rnewste]

Question: After you have done the grafting, what do you think about putting the tray on a heat mat to keep them warm?

Raybo

[b54red]

Originally Posted by lycoperson

Hey Bill, he was asking about *my* grafts, lol!

Oops.

[bitterwort]

Sorry to butt in to your thread, lyco, but I'll react to Raybo's question from my experience over the last three years. I think the heat mat would just make them excessively leggy while they're healing away from the light. Mine heal at an ambient temperature of maybe 65 degrees, because that's the temperature of the space I have available for them at that time of year. They do just fine except perhaps to require a couple extra days in the healing chamber.

[lycoperson]

Originally Posted by rnewste

Question: After you have done the grafting, what do you think about putting the tray on a heat mat to keep them warm?
Raybo

Everyone's welcome in this discussion! I was just clarifying which pictures were under discussion.

I actually had mine on a heat mat, but up a layer because I had flats of seeds germinating on the heat mat, and the healing chamber was sitting atop the flats. I was trying to keep the new grafts at 78 degrees. This is the temperature of optimum growth for tomatoes. Young seedlings are susceptible to cold, so I really wanted it warm, but not too warm. I used an IR thermometer gun to monitor soil temp. The advantage to heat is you get out of the healing chamber faster, so you have less danger of damping off.

I do like the look of seedlings that are grown cooler. They are less leggy, as bitterwort points out. But for me I want the fastest plants, and I'm going to trellis them anyway, so the initially taller plants are no problem. I am racing against the field tomatoes coming to market. If I gain an extra week of early harvest, it makes a big difference in sales.

[rnewste]

Thanks both of you for your insight.

Raybo

[efisakov]

Great posts, very useful.
thanks