old water bed heater with its thermostat should work wonders!

Good question Bill. I have been using a heating pad for years. It's getting old now and I am always concerned about leaving it plugged in when I leave the house. I don't like the set-up of the seed heating elements that I have seen in catalogs. An old water bed heater...I wonder if there are any on eBay?

Christine

Hi Bill,

I've read about people using an old 10 gallon aquarium and someone suggested using a reptile heating mat. I root hoya cuttings myself, but I do not use heating mat. I use a plastic storage, add a couple of inches of gravel, put some old 4" tiles on top of the gravel, add enough water so that the water is just below the tile, so the pot is not sitting in water. I cover the top with plastic, this creates a lot of humidity and keeps the water pretty warm inside since it is sealed. I place the container in my florida room in a very bright area, not direct sun, but warm room. I have also heard of people using aquarium light...this give off some slight heat to the plant that you are rooting.

Here is a link to the Reptile heating mat... if you click on "expand description", it lists some features and it says "Horticulturists, the IntelliTemp is perfect as a seedling heat mat. Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Reptile Heating Mat

Check at local thrift stores like Habitat For Humanity , Hospice , Goodwill , etc . for heating mats . If they don't have any , request that they save some and then call you . The old waterbed heaters and reptile mats are more than likely , being thrown away . Volunteers rarely know how to repurpose the mats .

Post on Freecycle.org and Craigslist.com in the wanted section . This is the time of year when people clean out their closets and storage units .

If someone offers you a waterbed mattress as well - let me know right away ! If it's a California King , I'll be there to haul it away for you .

Just an old hippie - Mary

Thanks to you all for the ideas. So it sounds like bottom heat of some sort is the way to go. I like the aquarium idea. I hadn't thought about the need to boost humidity.

This may be a silly question (I've never used a heating set up before). Do you all always use heating mats indoors in a warm room? A mat wouldn't produce enough heat to keep seeds/cuttings warm in a cool garage?

Mary, I'll be going to a thrift store this week. If I find a California King, you'll be the first to know.

Bill

Tony K----I bid on a used waterbed heater on eBay this morning. My husband raised a concern about the heater not being in contact with a water bladder. How would you set this heater up for it to work? This thing is 300 watts so too much heat is my concern too if the thermostat doesn't go low enough.

Bill---Bottom heat is the very best way to go. It is a must for sprouting pepper seeds in January because they need 80 degree soil. I have discovered that I get a better germination rate when I use bottom heat for my tomato seedlings as well.

A reptile heater sounds like a very good idea too.

Christine

I believe waterbed heaters go as low as 75 degrees or so .
Reptile heaters are about the same .
Both can be set quite warm as well .
Use a mercury thermometer for accurate readings .
The heaters are sealed units so there should be no fire danger .
heat + humidity = germination
yippee !
Thanks for the chuckle Bill !

Thanks for the great hints, everyone!

Here's mine. I start seeds in wee containers in recycled BJ's rotiserrie chicken domes. They're mini greenhouses - I haven't used bottom heat yet.

(I'm reluctant to use heating pads with the quirky electrical wiring in this old house I reside in.)

Good luck with your seeds!

M

Christine,

by having the sensing portion of the thermostat between the mat and the seed tray, it will cycle on/off often. The heaters can be set low, so I dont think its an issue. Be sure to watch it closely to be sure all is well with it.

It should work fine as long as the sensor is in contact with something that is being warmed.

Let us know!

Tony

Tony---I bid on a waterbed heater on eBay this past weekend but I didn't win it. The price went too high. New ones go for $59.99 including shipping so it's not worth paying a lot for used.

I checked out the reptile mats. They are inexpensive but they aren't very big. Well, for now I will have to use my heating pads. The waterbed heater does sound good so I will keep trying to find a used one if possible.

Ok, I'll let you know what I end up getting and how it works out.

Christine