"Steve" wrote in message
...
I would (and in fact I do) use the heat only to get them to
germinate quickly. Then they go under the basement lights with no
heat added.
I think providing that heat not only makes them grow too big but
also makes them more tender. Maybe it didn't happen this year but
sometimes the weather might turn cold right after you get them into
the garden. Plans that grew slower under cooler conditions would be
less stressed by cooler weather.

Steve

Thanks for the reply.

Next year I'll remove the seedlings from the mat as they germinate.

The tomatoes didn't seem to shock much, if at all. My peppers, however, are
a different story. Most of the ones I started are very stunted. I bought
some other seedlings of varieties I didn't have seeds for, and they're all
doing great.

Gary