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Heated growing table

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Rayshields

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I have 6 gardens and love growing all kinds of vegetables. I have had trouble in the past with leggy plants and sometimes damping off when growing from seed. I found this website about heated tables http://doorgarden.com/02/home-made-bottom-heat-seed-starting
I built a similar table 2ft by 8ft but with 6 inch spaces between rows of lights. It did an unbelievable job of starting seeds fast and with long roots and strong stems...I had an old table and the insulation so only the drywall and rope lights were out of pocket expenses...I will use this table every year because the seeds just pop out of the starter mix...the temperature on my table surface is 77 to 80F in my basement where the air temp is about 60F.
 

Jitterbugdude

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Kinda funny, I just went to Lowe's this past Saturday and bought a few of their 6 ft light ropes for just such an endeavor.
Randy B
 

Tom_in_TN

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Neat idea, apprarently works like magic and looks do-able even for me. With all your vegetable growing are you making room for tobacco?
 

CoralReefs

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I have 6 gardens and love growing all kinds of vegetables. I have had trouble in the past with leggy plants and sometimes damping off when growing from seed. I found this website about heated tables http://doorgarden.com/02/home-made-bottom-heat-seed-starting
I built a similar table 2ft by 8ft but with 6 inch spaces between rows of lights. It did an unbelievable job of starting seeds fast and with long roots and strong stems...I had an old table and the insulation so only the drywall and rope lights were out of pocket expenses...I will use this table every year because the seeds just pop out of the starter mix...the temperature on my table surface is 77 to 80F in my basement where the air temp is about 60F.

Huh, you think it can help with damping off? I would be very interested in hearing about your results with this table. Damping off is a big challenge for me. Everytime I start seeds it gets better and better. Keep finding new tricks. Never thought of a heat table!
 

Jitterbugdude

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Just make sure you get the incandescent ones and not the LED ones.
Home Depot has the 6 foot one for $6.95 and a 2 foot one for $3.95. They also sell clips to secure it.
 

FmGrowit

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Does anyone know how hot those heat cables get for keeping the ice off your roof? There's another heat tape for wrapping pipes also. An electric radiant heat grid (or cable) for under tile floors would work also, but I don't know how you'd regulate the temperature.
 

Jitterbugdude

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I'll bet you could regulate the heat with a good old dimmer switch. Since they are just resistive cable they might be better to use than the light rope that has bulbs that will eventually burn out. Dam... and I'm already out by about $15.00 for the light ropes!
 

Jack in NB

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We used the gutter heating cables under propagating beds for nursery cuttings at one time. I've forgotten the wattage per square foot we installed, but that should be easy to determine from an ag university or State ag department. We looped the cable from end to end in lines about 2" apart on a plywood bottom, and covered it with a couple of inches of sand. They get warm, not hot, to the touch.

Control - an electric heat thermostat wired to a standard receptacle, and laid on the bed surface.
 

Rayshields

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I caught the ropelights on sale at Ace Hardware after Christmas for $13.00 for 12 ft. I used twp strands on my 2x8 table. I modified the web design by running a strip of insulation around the perimeter of the table and left a 1 inch gap to allow the plug end to dangle out. I had zero damping off. I started my tobacco as well as 120 tomatoes, 100 peppers, 9 eggplant. The tobacco is Kentucky 17 Burley, Black Mammoth, Black Mammoth Small Stalk, and Virginia Bright. I have 504 tobacco plants in all. The Virginia Bright seems to be growing the fastest. I have some of it moved into 8 oz styrofoam cups at about 3 inches tall. Our last frost date here in North Missouri is May 5 so I am targeting setting plants out about May 15th.

This is my first effort at growing tobacco and I have researched the internet for what I know...I am going to be floundering when it comes to curing and storing...but I am excited to learn.
 
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