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Knopp, Germany

I have a heat mat that I can not control the temperature on. I am using your standard Eddy's Ice Cream container as the source to hold the starting soil. On the heat mat, with a thermometer (typical meat thermometer) pushed to the bottom of the starting soil, I measure about 100 degrees, about half way up the soil, I measure about 85 degrees, and at one inch into the soil, only about 75 degrees.

So, is the 100 degrees at the bottom going to cook the seed that is only about 1 inch into the soil?

Is the temp of only about 75 degrees one inch into the soil where the seed sits not enough?

I have had the soil in the ice cream container on the heating mat for 24 hours when I made these measurements.

Thanks for any answers.

owen

4/17/2006 1:22:17 PM

owen i use a heat mat similar but i use a small clear plastic dome on a thin plastic tray with pots in it-i add oven mitts on top off heat mat -under tray to adjust temp if to warm-sometimes 2 mitts some times 4 etc

4/17/2006 3:16:19 PM

Www.extremepumpkinstore.com

Owen,
my heat mat is real hot too, I turn off the matt as soon as the seed breaks the soil, like Don said I would put something inbetween as a buffer or turn it off when the seed breaks the soil, the roots grow fast even at the bottom 100 is too much in my opinion.
Tom

4/17/2006 7:32:02 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Owen & all,

I use a simple drug store heating pad. For the first couple days the thing varies in temperature quite a bit. I have confirmed this with a simple thermometer from my son's Gecko cage as well as with a sophisticated (and expensive) soil thermometer.

By the third day the temperature stabilizes. It really is a wonder I haven't burned the house down! LOL

During the 3 day course, I gradually add or remove (as needed) regular bathroom towels until the SOIL in a plastic flower pot is holding right at 85°F.

Hope this helps.

Steve

4/17/2006 8:04:53 PM

Mocksville, NC

Owen i did the same thing i put plastic over the top or and old sandwicth baggie it seems to regulate the temp better, and just check your thermomerter if you need to adjust, also hold moister in. Roger i set my probe 1/2 way

4/17/2006 10:25:43 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

I use a too hot source of heat...oil filled radiator...electric type. To compensate for the max type of heat that I generate, I put a stabilizer on top of the electric radiator, and then put a very thick, styrofoam cooler on top...big enough to hold 2 1.5 gallon containers. Within about 12 hours the starting mix inside the containers stabilizes at the desired 85 degrees....with adjustments of course. And you are correct...I can only germinate 2 at a time...such is life...Peace, Wayne
ps...the platform...(stabilizer)...is a pop crate turned upside down to make a larger platform form for the cooler.

4/17/2006 10:45:16 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Owen,

After re-reading your question I believe you do want the seed zone to be 85°F regardless of the rest of the soil. Hence we use the soil thermometer in conjuncti0on with the simple dial type unit. Our pad stays around 100°F as you have noted. But it's the temperature of the SEED that we need to be dealing with.

Maybe Wayne's idea offers the most stable solution. Even an insulated beverage wrap would help to stabilize the ice cream pots temperature. The real soil of the Earth is naturally better insulated from volatility than a pot of any kind. So trying to create some insulation is a good idea.

4/17/2006 10:54:52 PM

Knopp, Germany

Thank you all for your replies.

owen

4/18/2006 1:08:07 AM

Webster, NY

I use the baggie method with a heat pad and a folded towel inbetween. The temp stays between 80 and 85.

4/18/2006 7:07:19 AM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I would suggest just using blocks of wood, or whatever material you have, to prop the tray up off the mat, an inch or two should do the trick. I also use the domes and stand a little baby thermometer up inside the tray.

4/18/2006 4:26:11 PM

Syracuse, NY

i have always been too cheap to do it, but i'll bet there is a "supply" store near each one of us...
where they have every type and rating of THERMOSTAT available;
some have a probe that you would just stick into the soil at the same depth as the seed, right ALONGSIDE the seed if you wanted. when the temp. dropped to like 84, it would turn-on your heat mat. gets to 90? turns it off.
additionally you could have several pots or containers or whatever running their circumstance all from that one
sensing probe.
the ones in the Grainger catalog (East Syracuse, NY)
cannot be over like 35-40 American Dollars.
my Germ-Bucks (why i have not yet bought a sensing-probe thermostat) each have a thermostat over a couple of light bulbs, and i have a bulb-on-a-wire-type thermometer
from Wal-Mart for each one;
since the temperature of the seed starting mix is not regulated by a probe IN the mix, i must gradually (12-24 hours) adjust the thermostat until i have hit the right
temperature. but, once it is set, well, it is SET. eric g

4/18/2006 6:50:53 PM

Syracuse, NY

...and we spend HOWWWW MUCHHHHH for those AUCTION SEEDS???
lol----

4/18/2006 6:56:52 PM

Doylestown, PA

I actually put my seeds on top of my satellite box. But oddly enough the seeds sort of smell "toasted" and haven't opened after being in the ziploc for 72 hours... so it's time to try a different batch, this time with a thermometer!

4/19/2006 1:15:13 PM

Itzetown City

I do it as I did the last 3 years. Planting the seed 1 1/2 inch deep in a 6 inch pot and put the pot on a plate on the radiator of the central heating. The thermostat on 3 and it will have the right temp. In the last 3 years I'd 100% germination this way. No costs for mats and watts here.

4/19/2006 4:05:09 PM