Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
An electric blanket i already have.
1020 trays, recommended setups and sources
- Thread starter peterd
- Start date
Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
For that matter you probably wouldnt want to leak water on a seed mat either. Just saying! Haha. then again you could just put a waterproof barrier over the sensitive area.oh ya. should probably make sure you dont leak water on an electric blanket. might pose some kind of hazard
Seedling heat mats are intended for use in a wet environment, and are waterproof.
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Bob
Homegrowngoodnes
Well-Known Member
Are the mats intended for germination only or to grow all the way to transplant?
As demonstrated in my grow logs year after year, in addition to germination, I use a mat beneath the 1020 tray assembly for the first week or so after moving seedlings into their individual cells. Beyond that, I rely on ambient warmth and sunlight. The heat mat is just a heat mat. It can add modest heat to whatever.
Bob
Bob
skychaser
Well-Known Member
Anything I can't get locally I buy here. https://www.growers-inc.com/ I have never been disappointed with anything I have bought from them and the service is great. I use 10/20 trays with 6 packs to start all my tobaccos, tomatoes and peppers. The tomatoes and peppers get moved to 4" pots at around 3-4 weeks but the tobaccos stay in the 6 packs until planting out at 8-9 weeks. The trays and 6 packs will last several seasons if you aren't to rough with them. To clean them, I hose them out well and then put them in an 18 gallon tote filled with water. I add a couple cups of bleach and let them soak for an hour. Like Bob said, not sterilizing them works until it doesn't. Then you have big problems. Bleach is cheap. Use it.
For labels I use these: https://www.growers-inc.com/4-x-5-8-white-stake-labels/ I buy them 1000 at a time. They will last several seasons too. I label them with a sharpie. A quick wipe with acetone will take off the ink so you can relabel them. For the things I sell every year I have them custom print my tags. It looks much more professional and saves an enormous amount of time when you have hundreds of plants to label. It's well worth the extra 1 1/2 pennies it costs. Pop sickle sticks work but don't really save you much money. And water wicks up the wood and can make the label unreadable.
If you are doing your germination in a room at 70 degrees or above, you don't need heat mats. You gain very little by using them. And in my experience they generally suck. They don't heat very evenly and will dry out or cook parts of the tray. I even tried putting old bath towels between the trays and mats but the heat still wasn't even. After killing a few hundred tomatoes with heat mats I quit using them and will never use them again. Using anything electrical that is not approved for a wet environment is a very bad idea. You could end up being electrocuted or burn your house down.
Due to the supply shortages and price increases of EVERYTHING recently, I advise you all to order your supplies for 2022 now. They may not be there when you want them in the spring. I am already on a waiting list for BX Pro Mix potting soil now. They are 2-4 weeks out. And this is the off season!
For labels I use these: https://www.growers-inc.com/4-x-5-8-white-stake-labels/ I buy them 1000 at a time. They will last several seasons too. I label them with a sharpie. A quick wipe with acetone will take off the ink so you can relabel them. For the things I sell every year I have them custom print my tags. It looks much more professional and saves an enormous amount of time when you have hundreds of plants to label. It's well worth the extra 1 1/2 pennies it costs. Pop sickle sticks work but don't really save you much money. And water wicks up the wood and can make the label unreadable.
If you are doing your germination in a room at 70 degrees or above, you don't need heat mats. You gain very little by using them. And in my experience they generally suck. They don't heat very evenly and will dry out or cook parts of the tray. I even tried putting old bath towels between the trays and mats but the heat still wasn't even. After killing a few hundred tomatoes with heat mats I quit using them and will never use them again. Using anything electrical that is not approved for a wet environment is a very bad idea. You could end up being electrocuted or burn your house down.
Due to the supply shortages and price increases of EVERYTHING recently, I advise you all to order your supplies for 2022 now. They may not be there when you want them in the spring. I am already on a waiting list for BX Pro Mix potting soil now. They are 2-4 weeks out. And this is the off season!
I raise seedlings in my basement. Temps run about 66F and I only get dappled sunlight from an eastern facing window. I keep the lights and heat mat on until the plants have hardened off enough to stay outside, waiting for transplant.
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i dont think plants should be kept on much longer than they have leaves, given decent indoor temps. if they get used to being warm and cozy all day and night they wont enjoy outside.
but i use the $25 heat mat with digital regulator on amazon. pairs well with domed trays to prevent moisture loss, keeping heat even since your heating a closed air space, and reducing how often it kicks on. then i just set temp and it stays within ~2 degrees of that. for tobacco i set 78f, peppers tomatoes hot weather plants 85f. i have grown my stuff without heat mat and simpler in general. but i get much more intangible enjoyment from trying to over-do it. suppose one could argue that's the definition of a hobby lol
but i use the $25 heat mat with digital regulator on amazon. pairs well with domed trays to prevent moisture loss, keeping heat even since your heating a closed air space, and reducing how often it kicks on. then i just set temp and it stays within ~2 degrees of that. for tobacco i set 78f, peppers tomatoes hot weather plants 85f. i have grown my stuff without heat mat and simpler in general. but i get much more intangible enjoyment from trying to over-do it. suppose one could argue that's the definition of a hobby lol
I've got 1020 trays for the first time, Winstrip... All is going well. I use the old flimsy bottoms from my throwaway seed starters. These trays can last decades. If I keep them for 20 years (which is a low estimate) they will cost $0.50 per year to use. $0.50 for a much better experience. It's an investment like anything well made, it costs more up front but returns way more than it costs relative to the competition.
Would you rather spend $0.50 / year to drive a Mercedes but have to pay it as $10 up front, or pay $1 / year, every year, to drive a jalopy...? These things won't end up in a landfill and tobacco growers should be relatively concerned about the environment.
Anyway, my issue with tobacco so far, since I am starting it outdoors in Florida, is the delicate balance between overwatering and causing dampening off, and under watering so that the top dries out and kills the seedlings due to shallow roots. For now, I am just keeping the trays fully saturated through bottom watering. Once the top dries at all it's right back to the bottom.
After transplanting my West Indies to small pots I have watered much less, I am slowly letting the top dry out more and more between transplants. I'm sure if I did this in a more controlled environment it would be easier, but what can I say. I like the outdoors and I don't have the type of space for this operation inside. I can barely grow my microgreens in the house...
Would you rather spend $0.50 / year to drive a Mercedes but have to pay it as $10 up front, or pay $1 / year, every year, to drive a jalopy...? These things won't end up in a landfill and tobacco growers should be relatively concerned about the environment.
Anyway, my issue with tobacco so far, since I am starting it outdoors in Florida, is the delicate balance between overwatering and causing dampening off, and under watering so that the top dries out and kills the seedlings due to shallow roots. For now, I am just keeping the trays fully saturated through bottom watering. Once the top dries at all it's right back to the bottom.
After transplanting my West Indies to small pots I have watered much less, I am slowly letting the top dry out more and more between transplants. I'm sure if I did this in a more controlled environment it would be easier, but what can I say. I like the outdoors and I don't have the type of space for this operation inside. I can barely grow my microgreens in the house...
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