On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 19:42:53 -0500, "Jack Allen"
wrote:


"Frogleg" wrote in message
.. .
On 19 Mar 2005 16:23:26 -0800, "Chuckie" wrote:

Does "started some plants" mean planting seeds? In that case, you need
some localized bottom heat to keep the germination medium around 75F.
The entire greenhouse doesn't need to be maintained at 75F to start
the seeds.

What do you recommend for the bottom heat? I have a home built greenhouse
with heat and cooling but it would be nice to just have to heat the bottom
until the plants get up.

When I had money, I bought some sturdy heating mats specificially
designed fot the purpose. See

http://www.gardeners.com/Shopping/de...ecGro upNum=3

(The pricey mats with metal racks -- top row, 3rd pic from left --
were a little less then.) I also got a cheaper insulated wire that
one buried in the growing medium of a sort of open tray. Rather like
what must be insde an electric blanket, I think, but a reasonable
length and designed to work in damp/wet material. It was a little hard
to coil it around to give uniform coverage, but it worked.

I've heard of people using actual electric blankets. My concerns with
that would be electrical hazard and possibly range of the heat. It
doesn't take much to cook a plant in an enclosed space.