heat mat for peppers

[PaulF]

I may have made a mistake, but it sounded good. I just bought a waterbed heat mat to put under my pepper seedlings. The idea was to get a little extra heat under the peppers. The normal mats for seedlings seem to only get an extra ten degrees above ambient which in my basement is in the 65 degree F range making the pepper soil 75. I want 85.

The waterbed mat has a thermostat and a high heat shut-off and its range is 70-100 degrees F. I will keep track of soil temps with a soil thermometer.

Mistake or not?

[Blueaussi]

I've certainly heard of other folks using waterbed heaters for seed starting, but I've never done it myself. Good Luck!

[KarenO]

I think it will work fine, I would stay at the lower temperature range though. The only thing you risk with lower temp is a slower germination but at higher temps you could risk killing the seed.
KO

[brokenbar]

I have a friend who sets up a waterbed in her garage every year...personally, I think pepper seeds like it a lot hotter than we think. I have used a fitted mattress electric bottom sheet like thing and it worked great also (covered with BRAND NEW plastic so no leaks! I wonder what would happen if someone peed the bed????? )

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by brokenbar

I have a friend who sets up a waterbed in her garage every year...personally, I think pepper seeds like it a lot hotter than we think. I have used a fitted mattress electric bottom sheet like thing and it worked great also (covered with BRAND NEW plastic so no leaks! I wonder what would happen if someone peed the bed????? )

I heard of people getting shocked but it may be a myth.
Which I think it is because electricity follows the path of least resistance and that would be the controlled direct short to heat the bed up.
Plus you wouldn't have a very good ground and the wire is insulated.

Worth

[brokenbar]

Originally Posted by Worth1

I heard of people getting shocked but it may be a myth.
Which I think it is because electricity follows the path of least resistance and that would be the controlled direct short to heat the bed up.
Plus you wouldn't have a very good ground and the wire is insulated.

Worth

Well...as I know NOTHING about electricity except that I HATE GETTING SHOCKED (If I ever get "The Chair" they won't have to bother...I'll be dead of a heart attack before they can throw the switch!!!) I bow to you opinion... but my friend really does do it...she completely sets up the waterbed and fills it...Voila...giant heat mat. Dang..I remember water beds and they mostly sucked...I was always wedged between the wood frame and the mattress and trying to get up...oh brother...

[PA_Julia]

For my Carolina Reapers this season I used my Sunbeam electric heating pad adapted for seedling germination.

The pad itself is waterproof and has a three position switch. I placed the plastic germination tray directly on to of the heating pad. I have a hole cut out of the clear plastic top to accommodate an analog soil thermometer placed in a small seedling container filled with soil. This setup is placed in a small plastic storage tub with lid. I keep the lid sitting on top of of the tub but not sealed.

I germinated four reapers in peat pellets at approx 90 F in eight days.

This setup has been used for tomatoes, peppers and pumpkins for the past three years.
I just purchased a larger seed germination heat mat to add to my setup but it still has to prove itself to be as good as the setup I've been using.

[PaulF]

Thanks for the information. Looks like it should work. I'm taking a couple weeks off to rejuvenate in Florida and then the planting season begins.

[shelleybean]

Have fun in Fla. Paul. Sounds like a great plan.

[Blueaussi]

How do you get around the automatic cut off on a heating pad made for people? It was my understanding that it's required on all of heating pads that can be bought at drug stores and the like.

[Rairdog]

Here is my set up. The mat is sold for 5 $/ft and used by reptile breeders. The therm. is a HydraFarm. You can cut the mat to any length and just crimp the connectors to each side.

[JJJessee]

That looks like the best deal goin' Rairdog. How many linear feet will the thermostat drive?
My thermostat looks to be the same make, different vendor.

[Rairdog]

Originally Posted by JJJessee

That looks like the best deal goin' Rairdog. How many linear feet will the thermostat drive?
My thermostat looks to be the same make, different vendor.

It's 20 watts per foot if I remember right. I have seen some racks that reptile breeders use the were 8 to 10 feet long and 4 or more shelves. They wire the mats in series from shelf to shelf. I ordered 6 ft because 120 watts is max I was comfortable with on a 20 amp GFCI circuit. I guess it would depend on ambient temps and how much heating would be needed.

I am still tinkering with thermostat placement. When probe is placed directly on mat the top of the media was 4 to 5 degrees lower. When probe is placed on top of media I am only getting a 1 to 2 degree difference from middle of media to outside edge.

The plan is using the matt at 85 degrees to germinate peppers. The mat will then be used under 3 -1020 trays to keep a minimum of 60 for cold nights.

[chiefbeaz]

Where can you get a mat like you are using and what do you ask for?

[PA_Julia]

Originally Posted by Blueaussi

How do you get around the automatic cut off on a heating pad made for people? It was my understanding that it's required on all of heating pads that can be bought at drug stores and the like.

I purchased this one in 2007. It has no automatic cut off. It works extremely well.