Seed starting mats
 

Does Lowes or Home Depot have dependable heat mats?They would be the cheapest than ordering and paying the S&H.Funds are short at the moment and I want to start my pepper seeds soon.Would like your thoughts.Thanks :)

Once your seeds sprout, where are you growing them out before transplant?

Just wondering because if you grow them in your heated house, you wouldn't need a heat mat, just find a warmer place to germinate the seed (top of refrigerator, cable box, TV, etc...)

Agree with above, I started mine on the dvd top and had excellent germination. Put several layers of towels or tshirts on top of the tray cover to keep the heat in. I have another tray on the floor near a heat vent, well wrapped in a plastic bag so it doesn't dry out. There is a recent ongoing thread on heat mat alternatives in one of the lower forums.
It is worth a try.

- Lisa

I don't think Home Depot or Lowes has them.

I ended up buying this heating pad that (unlike most) has a "stay on" setting. And I stuck it in a plastic bag underneath the seedling tray.

At the highest setting it does not get especially hot.

And it is not very big so I rotated the tray every other day.

I got pretty good germination of hot pepper seeds.

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 grew them last year in my basement after they germinated but because the air temp was only 65 they grew very slowly and some never big at all.Tomato seeds did well but are easier to grow for me with less heat to germinate.I could try under the bed as we have a vent in two bedrooms with the bed up against the wall and the warm air trapped under the bed.No light would be needed until they poked through then they will go under my shop lights in the basement for 16 hours of light a day.Thanks for the suggestions,it's worth a try.I'll keep them covered in a plastic bag.

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.

Bought mine at Lowe's...just ran across them one day. Ferry-Morse brand. $25

Here is a link to the one I bought last year.
It's $12.98 on Amazon, free two day shipping if you have PRIME.

Doesn't have a thermostat, but I used it without any problems overheating, just watched as the soil or growing medium dries out quicker.

I placed my seed tray with the starter cups directly on it, and an overhead T-5 light above. It really worked a trick to get them to sprout quickly.

[URL="https://www.amazon.com/certified-Seedfactor-Waterproof-Germination-Hydroponic/dp/B074753J5V/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519415053&sr=8-4&keywords=seed+heat+mat"]https://www.amazon.com/certified-Seedfactor-Waterproof-Germination-Hydroponic/dp/B074753J5V/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1519415053&sr=8-4&keywords=seed+heat+mat[/URL]

[QUOTE=Goodloe;685049]Bought mine at Lowe's...just ran across them one day. Ferry-Morse brand. $25[/QUOTE]

I picked one up at WalMart same brand.Thanks.

Peppers are on top of egg hatcher.

[QUOTE=clkeiper;685046]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.[/QUOTE]

I just came home after buying one at Walmart.Ferry Morse brand.Let me think about this I would really like to try it here.Thank you so much your very kind and I do want to stop by one of these days.

I just ordered three mats from e-bay for under $11 each. Brand new in the box with free shipping. Should be here before the tomato seeds get planted and before the peppers are up.

Sounds like you gut a great deal on those,I'm starting my pepper seeds this week now that I have my heat mat.Spring less than 30 days away!:D

I bought a thermostat with the $13 Amazon mats but have never used it. The mats do a pretty good job at keeping the temps right where the seeds like them! The 1020 trays with lids create a great environment for germination.

As soon as the seeds sprout I take them off the heat so they don't get too leggy.

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.

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.

[QUOTE=clkeiper;685046]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.[/QUOTE]

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.:surprised:

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

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

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.

[QUOTE=cjp1953;685255]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.[/QUOTE]



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.

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.

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

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.

[QUOTE=AlittleSalt;685265]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.[/QUOTE]

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.

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

[QUOTE=cjp1953;685245]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.:surprised:[/QUOTE]

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.

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

[QUOTE=cjp1953;685261]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.[/QUOTE]


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.