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Hi. I'm Brigitte (ya ya, most of you know that, but work with the humour on this post...). I'm a poor college student obsessed with a unique hobby that's not very compatable with a thrifty cheapskate like myself. I want to raise the soil temp...without the 30 dollar soil heating cables. Any suggestions? Hotbeds....black plastic...you name it....I want ideas! :-)

1/7/2004 8:47:35 PM

ny

Black plastic, cheap!!

1/7/2004 10:11:13 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Last time I checked even black plastic cost money. At Yankees Stadium a few years back we resorted to melting the right field ice with Black Beauty blasting sand. Got any coal or slag operations nearby? Just make sure the stuff is chemically inert or you might upset the soil.

If not, how's about a new subdivision? Or just hook up with a roofer. The 15 & 30 lb black rolled roofing paper remnants are often thrown away when the jobs over. Liberate a couple rolls & toss some down. Pin the corners with rocks.

I built the clone benches in our greenhouse with all the "junk" lumber that was about to be thrown into a 30 yard dumpster in a nearby subdivision. The contractors were psyched they didn't have to lift all those 2x4s up over the containers 6" tall edge. They neatly stacked the good ones in my truck for me too. Of course presenting them with steaming hot cups of Dunkin' Donuts coffee didn't hurt my chances of success either.

Be creative. Somewhere nearby is a person or business with too much "black stuff" taking up space. Taking it off their hands might be doing them a favor.

Steve

1/7/2004 10:42:25 PM

Indiana

Alun puts fresh manure beneath the surface a few feet, and that raises the temps to the low 80's I understand from him?

Tom

1/7/2004 10:50:26 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Yup listen to your buddy.

Hot bed with fresh manure - Alun had good results with this last year.

I like the simplicity and convenience of the $30 heating cable & combo this with weed block black plastic. Have this tucked in under the cloche and you'll be set for spring.

1/8/2004 1:59:00 AM

Billerica,Massachusetts

clear plastic heats soil far better than black plastic.

1/8/2004 8:10:41 AM

Deer Park, WI

The problem with plastic, especially in WI, is that in the spring the soil is full of moisture via melted snow and frost. Since moisture acts as an insulator, it takes forever to heat up the dirt. Plastic, whether black or clear, does not allow moisture to leave. Ive tried the black plastic approach to no avail, it was slow.

It seems the best way to get soil up to temp is pray for wind and warm temps.

Here's my suggestion....pile tons of snow on your growing area, if ya got it, to insulate the ground, prevent frost from going deeper. As soon as the temp goes above 32, shovel all the snow off and let it bask in the spring air. Best adivice I can offer chica.

1/8/2004 9:22:31 AM

Midwest

Put 2 cement blocks on end 5'apart over planting spot,put 5'2x4 on blocks,cover blocks and 2x4 with 10'x10' clear plastic,pull snug and put other blocks on edges. allow 2 or 3 small spaces on each side for just a little air to pass through. I use small chuncks of pvc pipe under the plastic at the edges. CK

1/8/2004 2:26:19 PM

New Brunswick, Canada

Hot beds with fresh horse manure work great for my tomato and green pepper plants so I'm sure pumpkins would benefit from this mixture. After one week the manure heats up to 110 degrees and then deminishes slowly for about 7 weeks. By this time the sun is stronger and the soil is naturally warmer.Also the manure is composted enough to provide nutrients to the plant without burning the roots. The soil above the hot bed reaches a temperature around 75 degrees, perfect for any root system. A win win situation for anyone in areas where spring and summer are slow in coming... Ken

1/8/2004 8:27:18 PM

Carrollton, Ga.

A few questions:
1-How much fresh manure do you need for 1 planting site.
2-How much soil do you put over fresh manure.
3-If you were going to use a heating cable instead, how much does the power bill run for 1 cable.

Thanks, Dude

1/9/2004 12:27:53 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Here's a hotbed site:
You'd probably find more by searching google.com.
Mine is also pretty darn hot Brigitte but I'm happily married..hehe!
http://www.greenchronicle.com/gardening/hotbed.htm

From what I've read it is cheaper to get the heating cable.
Best of luck,
Michel

1/9/2004 1:29:50 PM

canal winchester ohio

Here's what I done before I just wised up & started planting later ( I now plant between May 15th & May 20th)
I would lay a single layer of bricks in the area I would want to heat up & then lay window panes across the bricks. Sometimes I would have to put a line of bricks in the middle to support the glass. If you hunt down folks who replace windows for a living it isn't hard to find old windows at a very cheap price. The ground always heated & dried out very well..........Paul

1/9/2004 4:36:06 PM

Ontario

I've raised my whole garden by 3 ft, no problem with warming up the soil here.

drew

1/9/2004 5:38:37 PM