Using A Heat Mat To Grow Plants

Save your money on growing equipment especially if you are a hobby grower.

Using a heat mat to grow plants.

A heat mat is a product manufactured for plant propagation and is found in many gardening centers. Choose large plant heat mats if you are going to use two or more trays for germination at the same time. Either way it s a good idea to have some sort of temperature control to keep plants from overheating. Set the seedling tray on top of the heat mat.

To grow from seed you need the proper equipment starting with a heat mat. How to use seedling mats. The heating pad used for medical purposes is not for gardening and may cause injury or fires. Be patient as it may take a couple of days for the mat to warm the soil especially with deep.

Heat mats which use very little electricity produce gentle consistent heat. The idea of turning it off at night usually springs from the observation that the earth cools at night and warms up again in the day thanks to the sun. Heat mats are especially useful for starting seeds of plants that like warm temperatures such as peppers and basil. Check your seed packages to determine the ideal temperature and light exposure for seed germination.

Our seedling sprouting area is near our windows and since we start our spring garden seedlings in january. With a heat mat we can ensure quick and reliable sprouting for our vegetables. Put a heat mat under seed starting flats celled trays or even individual pots. There are mats made to fit one to four trays.

Make your indoor plant propagation more successful with the right tools. After i ve sown the seeds and turned on the heat mat do i leave it on all night. Read the back of the seed packet to verify the temperature requirement of your seeds. With our heat mat thermometer and grow lights let s start the 2019 garden season and plant broccoli cauliflower kale and bok choy seeds.

Leave the heat mat on at all times until the seeds germinate. Most plants require a soil temperature of 70 to 72 degrees fahrenheit but some plants like peppers require warmer temperatures of 80 to 85 fahrenheit. Leave the heat mat on and set to the same temperature 24 hours a day until the seeds sprout. Do not use large mats if you have a small tray by doing this you will be wasting your money on large mat and electricity heat energy.

Note that after you get a flat of seeds germinated you can move it off the mat to a sunny window or under lights and use that mat under the next flat of seeds. The right heat mat for plants will jump start your growing season and give your seedlings the best chance of germinating. Some heat mats for plants even have thermostats to adjust the heat.