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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2011 10:33
AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Heating
seedling trays
Here's a question:
I'm using one of those 'plastic film'
heating mats, probably 2x4 ft.
I'm having trouble with 'hot spots' in
it. I have a good thermostat, which I set of 70degrees. I have umpteen
small soil thermometers stuck in the trays but, of course, the thermostat
sensor can only be in one spot, so, until it reads 70 there, it keeps the
juice on throughout the mat. (I've read up to 100degrees in the soil at one
point. Weird, 100 degrees BAKES seeds, which doesn't seem right) Anyway,
I've decided to sandwich the heat mat between a 1inch thick sheet of
rigid insulation (which I've had there all along) and a half inch
thick sheet of sheathing rigid (foam) insulation in the hopes that
the temperature will even out across the board and the thermostat
sensor will pick up more accurately. My question is: have you ever tried
a heat mat sandwiched between insulation boards? Is there a danger
of over heating the heat pad while trying to get 70degrees through
the top insulation? Other than buy a new heat mat, how would you
approach this problem. (Yes, mostly working with wheatgrass, peas
and sunflowers)
Thanks
-Allan in WV
On Mon,
Dec 19, 2011 at 8:35 AM, MAsteveINE <MAsteveINE AT 207me.com>
wrote: > > The system you discribe is available from suppliers
under several names but > commonly referred to as spaghetti tube,
another alternative puts fin pipe > (as is inside hot water baseboard)
suspended under the bench. For a > DIY system on the cheap use common
black 1/2 inch plastic pipe in runs a few > inches apart; running warm
water, > with a Taco 007 pump, from some type of water heater. ( longer
pump runs of > warm water is better than hot water which can overheat
your crop, get your > system together early and make a check run for a
few days to see what is > what; I like having the probe of an
indoor/outdoor recording thermometer > burried in the soil) > My
small system ran a Katz engine heater which is available at auto parts >
store; that was at the house (residence) where heat requirement was
minimal > > For late season we needed something for lots of vine
crops direct seeded in > 804 cell packs so we > put a 4' x 16'
bench at about waist height, covered and skirted with 6 mil > poly, a
1500 watt electric heater > under there on a bulb type line voltage
thermostat Worked very well, and > even better when we had > the
time and remembered to water with warm water! > >
MAsteveINE > >
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 > >
I’m looking for people’s experience heating seedling trays. I’ve used
heat > pads in the past but I saw a system recently on a farm near
Olympia, > Washington. This system consisted of a hot water tank used to
heat water > which was circulated through small diameter tubes under
seedling trays. The > farmer indicated that it was a less expensive
system to run than resistance > heat pads. I’m wondering what the
experience is of people on this site and > what their recommendations
would be for efficiently heating seedling trays. > Any and all thoughts
would be much appreciated. > > > >
Regards, > > Roy > >
________________________________ > > >
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