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  • From: Robert Schuler <sunnfarm AT verizon.net>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Bench heating in greenhouse
  • Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 10:41:01 -0600 (CST)

Rachel go to the Wrap-on web site and look up their Gro-Quick soil warming
cables. Before I went to a hot water system I had a 3.5'x 60ft bench
electrically heated with a series of 14 of the 48 ft 168 watt cables. I could
germinate 120 flats at a time on a single layer and I could germinate up to
three layers of seedling trays at a time or 360 trays... I still use some of
them for seed germination... Bob.
Sunny Meadow Farm
Bridgeton, NJ.


Hi, All.

I am wondering if I could get some more information on how people have set
up bench heating systems for starting plants.

Last fall we put up a 20x48 double inflated poly greenhouse. It's got a
modine heater (not hooked up yet so not familiar with it yet) , but I also
want to set up a hot-water bench heating system for starting plants.

I used to start plants in the basement under lights but it was too messy,
and now we're doing too much volume.

I've seen a farm where they ran tubing from a hot water heater over a bench
that had several inches of gravel on it, the tubing buried in the gravel.
Is the gravel (or sand?) really necessary, or can you just run the tubing
directly under the benches?

Are there websites or other sources of info that I should look at to see how
to do this right?

Is there a certain type of tubing to use? Or guidelines about the diameter,
or how far apart the loops of tubing should be, etc?

I'm thinking I'll set up a heating bench that's about 4'x40'. I do have
some heavy duty germination mats that I could use to start peppers and
tomatoes on if I wanted a warmer spot...?

Thanks for any input!

Rachel
Sunshine Organics
North Central Washington


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