I installed some day lights - put them 1 inch above of the pots... watered the pots from the bottom (poured water in and let the moss mixture soak it up) and its been 10 days with no results. So, I reluctantly paid the 45 bucks for a heat mat.
First, are 10 day old seeds still viable???
Second, my basement is unheated and here in Portland, Oregon it has been 40-50 all winter therefore the basement has been even colder. Even with the heat pad the soil isnt getting close to 70 degrees. Is that normal or did I get a bad heat pad?
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treehopper
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gixxerific
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first off what seeds are you planting?
IF you are talking the more warm climate plants like tomatoes. I have not had problems germinating in a cool basement, it just takes longer. I have a heat mat now and that really sppeds things up. As far as your seeds you have I would give them a go with the heat mat. The main reason they would not be viable at theis stag of the game is if they were wet than allowed to dry for too long. Being a cold basement I don't see that happening.
Give them some time and see what happens. If nothig sprouts is a week or so let those go if you can and start some more. The first platning may just be taking it's sweet time.
Good luck
IF you are talking the more warm climate plants like tomatoes. I have not had problems germinating in a cool basement, it just takes longer. I have a heat mat now and that really sppeds things up. As far as your seeds you have I would give them a go with the heat mat. The main reason they would not be viable at theis stag of the game is if they were wet than allowed to dry for too long. Being a cold basement I don't see that happening.
Give them some time and see what happens. If nothig sprouts is a week or so let those go if you can and start some more. The first platning may just be taking it's sweet time.
Good luck
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rainbowgardener
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I have two heat mats (regular heating pads from a pharmacy) that I have run 24/7 for three months a year for years. I'm sure that isn't what they were designed for, but they have never given me any problems.
You could give your seeds a little more time, but if they don't show soon, I'd start over with new seeds. Seeds sitting in cold moist soil easily rot out. My tomato seeds sitting on the heat pads sprouted in 3 days.
You could give your seeds a little more time, but if they don't show soon, I'd start over with new seeds. Seeds sitting in cold moist soil easily rot out. My tomato seeds sitting on the heat pads sprouted in 3 days.
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GardenGnome
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$45 I hope that's a 20 by 40 heating mat amazon has some for $20 inless you bought the thermostat with it then that's good. 2 what is your mat on? I did mine in my bathroom on a stone counter and the counter sucked up all the heat. Then I put it on a wood counter and some styroform and BLAM more plants then I needed. I keep my temp around 72 to 75 for everything and its workeed nice. And 3rd what are you growing?
Some flowers take 3 months to sprout and some stuff don't need heat but light only. They will only grow if its cold.
Some flowers take 3 months to sprout and some stuff don't need heat but light only. They will only grow if its cold.