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van isle b.c. canada

after over 24 yrs starting seeds i,ve finally hit upon one i,m happy with. it,s a 2 ft x 14 in x 12 in high styrofoam cooler with top. pretty standard, but whats great about it is the heating and control. i,m using a heating pad from the drug store that does not shut off after two hrs. it.s set on med. controlling the mat is a heating mat digital contoller set on 87 degrees . a little notch in the top for the power and senser wire and it is a sealed unit. i found garden stores heating mats just didn,t have the power to heat 6 to 8 pots and a lot of heat was lost to the plastic dome. the styrofoam unit keeps all the heat in and has no problem with 8 plants. i,m sure others have units that work as well. i,m just passing this along for info and ideas for new growers. craig

4/2/2011 11:40:35 AM

South Hero, VT

Good for you, Craig. After several years of hippie-dippie germinating, I found a cooler, heating mat, and thermostat do the trick 100 per cent of the time for me.

Maybe others would like to share their techniques.

4/2/2011 7:28:37 PM

Kentucky, U.S.A.

The styro-cooler is a thighter more efficent box. We see them all the time at the pharmacy at the hospital I work at. Thought that would be a smart way to go! BSD,David

4/2/2011 10:07:38 PM

Muddy Waters

I bought a taller plastic lid for my garden type,I stacked 2 lids for better heat retention.My germination has never been 100% though.The taller lid is for bigger peat pots!

4/3/2011 7:29:46 AM

Muddy Waters

I have a big coleman cooler & a water bed heating pad,I think I will do some load testing today,its going to rain all day,thanks I.O.Do you think the wife will care If I drill a hole in her cooler!lol

4/3/2011 7:33:21 AM

Rochester, MN

I also have moved to a digital controller set at 90 (doing watermelons) in a cooler(Coleman) and have had a huge success with that...using a heating pad and then I put a layer of styrofoam on top of the heating pad to keep the seeds above the heat and more even...as I first start them in wet napkins.

4/3/2011 10:50:10 PM

Muddy Waters

I just had a guy give me 2 old waterbed heating pads with thermostats now I have 3 units there 3 amps that should create alot of heat may use out in cold frames at nite this spring.

4/4/2011 7:41:28 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

I have been using the styro cooler thing for the last few years...mine sits on top of an oil filled, electric room heater, two heat settings, 600 & 900 W, can both be on or off, or either. Also a rheostat type control to tune in the proper temp!!! It takes a couple days, w/ pots of starting mix inside to get adjusted to proper temp...but then it's good to grow!!! (Simple, inexpensive soil temp thermometer, at seed level is used.) Peace, Wayne

4/5/2011 1:37:24 AM

Muddy Waters

Dont burn down the crib PW Sounds Flamable!!

4/5/2011 7:38:10 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Mark... fireproof insulation b/tween heater & cooler!!! Never even melted even a lil bit of cooler, ever!!! LOL Peace, Wayne

4/5/2011 10:56:12 PM

Maine

I use a egg incubator and have great sucess with it. It is one of the styrofoam types and keeps everything at a constant temp.

4/7/2011 2:34:12 PM

Minnesota

i heat my house to 90 degrees, its a little spendy but effective

4/7/2011 5:17:41 PM

Colorado

med size cooler here with a 15 watt bulb-keeps the cooler right at 85 degrees-chad I'm too cheap to heat the whole house though my wife would like that method

4/25/2011 2:12:18 PM

Colorado

Wayne do them other kentucky growers put their peat pots on top of their still

4/25/2011 2:15:04 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Cojoe, some start em the way they always have, still!!! Still, what's a still?
PS...I.Orange...no place in town I can find a heating pad that does not shut off after the 2hr time. Can I get you to buy& send me 2 of these if I send funds? Peace, Wayne

4/26/2011 1:58:11 AM

van isle b.c. canada

hey wayne, i,ve had mine for a few years so i,m not sure if i can find any either , but i can look around for you . my email is bigpmkns@shaw.ca craig

4/26/2011 9:52:43 AM

van isle b.c. canada

was just on flea bay and there,s quite few listed on there . you want the ones with out auto shut off and three heat settings. craig

4/26/2011 10:08:14 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

I.O.,thanks for info!!! have had mine for more than a few, and want to make sure I have a backup. UL or whoever those folks are, now say that the one's w/out the auto shut off, are unsafe?? Sorta strange that the old ones seem to work better than the new (government regulated) ones!!! I have also heard that a heat mat, meant for lizards and such do not have the auto shut off thing, maybe it's time for a trip to the pet store!!! Peace, Wayne
PS...cojoe...we don't use peat pots in Kentucky!!! LOL

4/27/2011 2:01:39 AM

Colorado

You use em if wal mart carried them-right-ha ha

5/2/2011 5:38:08 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

CoJoe, wall Mart, carries peat pots, and I dont use them!!! left-ha-ha!!! Our local wall Mart does not sell stills!!! If yer talkin about the heat mats, w/ out the auto shut off device, if the locall wall Mart, sold em, I would buy one!!! LOL Grow em BIG Co, Keep the mtn boys in line!!!! LOL Peace, Wayne

5/4/2011 12:20:46 AM

Linden, Mi.,

Peace Wayne, if you are looking for heat mat, with no shut off, I found some or e/bay, got them for $20.00

5/4/2011 10:41:38 AM

milford, CT,

I don't know if this is the ticket..BUT..I use 60 % Pro-Mix starter..30% potting soil..10 % Vermiculite ..Mychorizhea.. Soluable Kelp(1 TBS per gallon)..It works well for me..I also use the baggie method..36 hours in the baggie at 90 degrees.. then plant. This year I had 100 % Germination..

5/4/2011 5:21:35 PM

Mass

2nd year using mine, all but two seeds out of 30 or so, mellons, pumpkins, long gourds. Rubbermaid tote with 2 60 watt bulbs below a grill grate, and plexiglass lid. Air temp 100ish, soil temp 90-95. entries 14 and 15 of my diary. Curtesy Pap and Ron.

5/4/2011 7:27:01 PM