Soil warming cables

[T-lady]

Hi all

Has anyone any experiences of using soil warming cables to turn staging into a bloomin' great big propagator?

I have a big unheated greenhouse and I'm too tight to run the heater. But I wondered if I can box in one of the benches and use a soil warming cable to create a better environment for quicker crops?

Any advice appreciated ...


Cheers

T-lady

[samw04]

you could maybe use a heat mat the kind used for snakes and spiders ect. they dont cost much and are water proof i was gonna put one in the bottom of my mushrooms but i couldn't wait so i thought if they don't work i'll get one for next time. also if you go to a tropical fish shop you can get really big polystyrene boxes for nothing (saves them recycling ) they work really well with glass on top.

[valmarg]

We have a soil warming cable, and a heat mat.

OH has made a frame for the soil warming cable. Basically the cable is zig-zagged over the base, and covered with sand Unfortunately ours is not thermostatically controlled so you need to keep an eye on it (so you don't cook your seedlings). Having said that OH has made hoops to fit over the frame so we can drape fleece over to protect plants. Not being thermostatically controlled is a bit of a pain, but all you need to do is keep the sand covering the cable damp.

With the heat mat we put a sheet of polystyrene wallpaper lining under it, cover with black plastic bin bags, and its great. OH hasn't managed to make a cover for it, but if you are using seed trays you could use the clear plastic propagator covers.

Wouldn't be without either.

valmarg

[T-lady]

Positive noises

Thanks for this, I'm really tempted with the cable. I thought the mats looked expensive but a broader 'Google' has shown a couple of possibilities.

I take it there's no problem with watering oto either a mat or the cable???

[valmarg]

No, the only danger with the cable is getting water on the plug, and with the heating mat, not to get any water on the thermostat.

We've had both for many years, and when seedlings/cuttings are in full growth, I tend to chuck water about like a man with no arms, and haven't managed to 'blow' either of them yet.

I think one of the best catalogues (for browsing, not buying) is the Two Wests. Their prices make your eyes water!!

valmarg

[wellie]

Two or three years ago I 'invested' in a Soil Warming Cable and Thermostat, and HUGELY Heath Robinson, from a redundant cheap kitchen table, built myself a 6ft x 2ft Propagating Table, which I lined with black polythene, added sand, zig-zag cable, more sand, etc. all within the table-top, surrounded by wooden 6" gravel boards, and then built a polythene cloche cover to keep the heat in.

I wish I had a picture to show you, but I don't. Sorry.....
And to this day, I have never regretted spending that money on the soil-warming cable & thermostat, as what I managed to achieve in terms of raising Tender Stuff, like tommies, aubergines, peppers and chillies etc. in that environment, was truly amazing....

Definitely 'Go For It'. As long as you look after the expensive investment, it will last you for years to come. And I wish you all the excitement that I had when it was up and running and things germinating left right and centre!!
X

[T-lady]

Wellie - thanks for your inspirational words. I'm off to look for old tables (don't want to sacrifice one of my benches to a permanent structure). Oh, and I had a nosy at your blog and you are awsome! What a cooking deamon and your garden is beautiful - are you sure France is such a good idea - how can you bear to leave it?

Valmarg - you're not kidding about the TwoWest prices. They've got a gorgeous 'plunge bed' but - whew! the cost of it!

Cheers


T-lady

[valmarg]

T-lady, I've a husband whose middle name should be Heath, as in Heath Robinson. All right he codges and bodges, but we end up with very satisfactory equivalents of the very expensive Two Wests equivalents.

valmarg

[wellie]

valmarg,

I'm a codger and bodger too, it's very satisfying!
T-lady, I'm flattered, thank you... and by moving to France, I get the pleasure of doing it all over again, but bigger and better!

[valmarg]

T-lady, I've been quizzing OH about the frame he made for the soil warming cable.

Apparently the base is a large piece of chipboard (sorry, don't have dimensions). Round the edge he has put a wooden border which is about 1 -2" deep, which is screwed into place. He then lines the frame with black polythene bags (so that the water doesn't get into the chipboard. Puts a layer of sand, zig-zags the cable over the base. Fixes the cable in place with the tack-things that telephone/electrical cables are held in place. Another layer of sand, switch on, and away we go!! I got a snap of it, complete with hoops to drape over, but I'm in the view, and it spoils the overall picture!!

wellie, as to being a 'codger and bodger' it keeps OH out of mischief for hours, and he very frequently comes up with very useful gadgets.

love valmarg

[jimbo1959]

Hi all

Has anyone any experiences of using soil warming cables to turn staging into a bloomin' great big propagator?

I have a big unheated greenhouse and I'm too tight to run the heater. But I wondered if I can box in one of the benches and use a soil warming cable to create a better environment for quicker crops?

Any advice appreciated ...


Cheers

T-lady

Hello T-Lady
In answer to you question yes I have done it for the first time this year 2008, what I did was I got given a Adjusta Growing frame that the cover was missing so i dismantled it and fixed into my greenhouse staging I then ran the Jumpstart soil and air heating cable zigzag long ways on top of about 2 inches of soil then filled it to around 2 inches from the top compressing the soil when done. I then split it into 4 x 12 inch sections for seed beds which I set this weekend 01/02/08 I have set the temp at 30 and you can feel when touching the sides the warmth of the soil. by the way I am a codge and splodge well that what I call myself the wife would tell another story.
The size of it is 2 foot by 4 foot with a depth of 15 inches.

Hope this helps

Jimbo

[T-lady]

You're not going to believe this ... my Valentine's pressie arrived last night from the Bean and ... it's a bloomin' 5ft x 3ft plunge bench from Two Wests!!!!

I'd bought a cable and thermometre thingy from JungleSeeds (really good price Parasene one) and asked Bean if he'd build me a bench. He said he would and then this great big box arrived.

I spent last night building it and it is HUGE - yippeeeeeeeeee!


Thanks for all the advice so far. Now, does anyone know how I'm going to get it out of the house!

Cheers

T-lady

[valmarg]

Thanks for all the advice so far. Now, does anyone know how I'm going to get it out of the house!
T-lady

How about the same way as you brought it in, only in reverse

You lucky lady, and happy growing for 2008.

valmarg

[T-lady]

Nice one valmarg - but my fingers are already bleeding, there's no way that thing is ever going to be dismantled (unless we decide to bring the size down! Someone seriously overspec'd the size of it)

I sowed my tomatoes and chillis at the weekend in a mad fit of optimism so I'm hoping by the time they've germinated we've shoehorned the thing into the green house (current plan is to lift the greenhouse OVER the bench!) and I can bring them on in a nice snug environment.

Very happy growing!

Cheers

T-lady

[T-lady]

Update; I did have to dismantle half of the thing to get it out and up to the greenhouse but it's now happily ticking over at 20 degrees.

Problem is ... run out of space already - time to build another bench?


T-lady