Mike Lyle wrote:
madgardener wrote:
On 14 Mar, 13:52, NogbadtheCool wrote:
bit late for this year I suppose, but I have a thermostat and a
length of plastic wired with heating cable which I keep meaning to
make into a proper heated seedbed. Does anyone have any advice /
plans for doing this properly? Many thanks
this may sound unusual, but are heated waterbed mattresses still being
sold over there? I had the idea to use my California King size
waterbed at one point as a heating seed bed. The pad that they make
for heating the waterbed's is remarkable. It never gets too hot, but
provides an even and low distribution of heat that eventually heats up
quite a large bit of water, and it always has a thermostat on it to
put it at the temperature you want it. It worked quite well for the
time I was able to employ it. I didn't completely fill up the huge
mattress with water, but half filled it and had it sitting inside a
make shift frame (not unlike the actual waterbed frame) and before
half filling the mattress, I positioned the waterbed heater underneath
it. ) Since the mattress wasn't completely filled, it heated quicker,
but provided good distribution of heat through the warm water to the
seed flats that I just sat on top. And the added bonus was it was a
waterbed mattress made out of incredibly puncture resistant vinyl with
reinforced edges. I hate I had to leave it behind! Even having a
single sized waterbed mattress would be easier to maintain in a small
area for seed germination and plant coddling until it's time to plant
them out and harden then. Just a suggestion. I thought about actually
going to a Charity shop for a used but still functional water bed
mattress and heating pad.

just an odd thought........
maddie stepping behind the boxwood in West Tennessee

Why not just an ordinary electric blanket? But Nog has the heating
element already, so we're both out of the loop.


Be very careful with this idea - ordinary electric blankets aren't
intended to get wet. Having said that, take precautions with any use of
electricity around water (as in a greenhouse) - at the very least one of
those plug-in safety devices that will cut the power in the event of
problems...

Adrian