Heated propagators are ideal for cold homes or unheated greenhouses, as they heat only the seed trays without heating the entire room. They also provide peace of mind with a thermostat to prevent sudden temperature drops. The Garland Fab 4 propagator is an entry-level propagator that offers ease and simplicity for new gardeners. It has four cells, making it perfect for growing a range of plants for the first time and keeping track of what’s in the greenhouse.
Heat mats offer seedling trays warmth that they may not access prior to the growing season. Many gardeners start seeds indoors in late winter or early spring, so they may use a seed heat mat to provide localized warmth when certain plants need it but not the whole greenhouse. There are several waterproof heat mat systems available for various purposes.
To use a heat mat, remove it from its packaging and spread it out on a flat, solid surface. Place the base of the greenhouse on the heating mat and prepare the seed trays, jiffy pots, punnets, or tubes that will be used in the greenhouse. A reliable heat mat (also known as a propagation mat) provides the best soil temperature conditions for seedling and plant growth. The Hydrofarm 48″x20″ seedling heat mat with a Jump Start heat mat thermostat is the best choice for this purpose.
Heat mats are better for germinating seeds and propagating cuttings, are cheaper, and use less energy. Keep the heat mat on 24/7 until germination to maintain an even soil temperature, then turn it off a couple of days after germination. Heat mats or greenhouse heating mats are used as seed starting mats to produce starter plants that can later be transferred to grow in open fields.
📹 Seeding Heat Mats Explained For Beginners – Plus Vivosun Heat Mat Review
Seedling Heat Mats Are An Invaluable Tool For Early Germination And Beyond! As we increasingly want to get a head start on the …
📹 Heat Mats and Propagators
Heat Mats are my favourite piece of gardening equipment, they take your growing to a new level and cut down seed germination …
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Much appreciation for taking the time to do this article. I purchased that same mat by chance from Amazon. It seems to work just fine without . I use Jiffy pods to start seeds as I only start less than 50 of the same plants and it is quick and easy for me. My problem is that I never get the same gemination rate from the same packet of seeds. This year, for instance, I had 2 Zinnia seeds sprout in 2 days. After 7 days I still only have those 2 sprouts from 10 pods. This is a pretty regular occurrence for all my seed starting. My father was a green thumb gardener and I believe my sister inherited that thumb while I got the middle finger.
I have learned so much from your articles. I’m in Delaware and grow many things that are out of my zone, citrus, ginger, tumeric. Ginger and tumeric need heat mats inside during cold weather. Then there’s the seed starting in early spring so I need MORE heat mats for that. I also pushed the growing zone this past year by starting Rosella inside in February, got a good crop this year.
I don’t have a heat mat but I made a “heat box” to cure the epoxy that I use in making golf clubs. Very simple. I make a 24″x 15″ (12″ high) box from 1/2″ or 3/4″ plywood and install a simple 60 or 75 watt light bulb fixture on the inside of the box. I place a 1/4″ thick on top of the box. Plug it in and put the top on. I put a cheap shallow (3/4″ deep?) aluminum tray on the box, place my peat pots on the top, put 1/2″ of water in the tray and watch them grow. You can vary the box size. Works like a charm.
Hello! I have hot pepper seedlings that all germinated beautifully on the heat mat 3 weeks ago. My question is how long should I keep them on the mat? I’ve heard some say for just a week after germination while others recommend keeping them on until just before transplanting. Thoughts? First time gardener from seeds here!!!
An idea for Vivosun would be to make this modular. For those of us that would like to utilize several mats at once (say on a wire storage rack), it would be nice to have one power brick unit with a couple of proprietary plug outlets. Going further would be able to control or monitor wattage use or temp or faulty mats through that main unit.
OMG 😲 Jeff, laughing 😂 my head off viewing this articles, I have no heat mat.. and tried every which way to get a few eggplant seeds to sprouts and nothing, failure after failure, then suddenly a light 💡 bulb idea, why not use the heat vent in my Suite and UNBELIEVABLY surprised it sprouted in a few days. Now I have a Lychee and Orange baby tree. Thanks So much 🙏🇨🇦
Love the high dome on that seed tray. Where did you get it ? I almost bought a heat mat at home depot a couple days ago while getting some gardening supplies for this spring. But since I’ve never had a problem sprouting seeds in my kitchen before I didn’t get one. My backyard is only about 15’×15′ and all concrete. My plants are all in black plastic heavy duty storage boxes. I make compost in a black 55 gallon plastic barrel every year. It’s always full of worms. I also have an asian pear tree, that I started from seed, growing in a barrel, that’s about eight years old. Last year I got about a dozen very sweet and juicy asian pears. This year I’m going to try putting bags over the fruit to protect them from beetles and ants. Huge problem last year.
Thanks for this useful article. I am not a gardener as such but have been experimenting with planting tomatoes, sweet & chilli peppers, red and white onions and garlic in pots in my back garden, often from seedlings bought from the local garden centre. Next season, I am planning to sprout the chilli/sweet pepper and onions for the first time, and I am thinking of using the seedling heat mat and grow-light. – Are heat mat and grow-light mutually exclusive, or is the grow-light to be used only after the seedlings have developed leaves? – What kind of materials can be used on the heat mat, e.g. can a plastic tray be used or does this have to be metal/tin?
Thanks for the article. I see you starting the seeds in what looks like a COLD environment…lol….and it looks like you have florescent lights…not led. I believe many people are not trying to be a perfectionist…it’s just they want to get it as right as possible because they don’t have time for the trial and error thing….there’s just that grow window is only so big. So as always, thanks for your help in all this. Looking forward to having a good year. Always love your website. Jesus bless.
Umm hi, I really like and enjoy your articles your very good at explaining things that I don’t understand about gardening I have extreme ADHD and gardening has been suggested as a alternative therapy. I really like it but I have no idea what I’m doing where to start what to buy in my zone 4 indoors and in containers. I don’t know which light if you have time and it’s not an inconvenience. Could you try to do some articles for growing indoors in containers how to start a new garden for beginners what we need to start what supplies. I have a total of 4,000$ of garden supplies but I don’t know what I have liquid fertilizer and soil food grade containers lights I just don’t understand
Google is definitely spying on us… today, I received my heat mats and very first article I found, is yours. Testing exactly the same brand and the same size I have just bought. Nice 😁. I bought the mats for alocasias that are on their way and should be with me tomorrow. Seeing this article, I will definitely use the mats for my props as well. Especially now, as we are entering the autumn/winter season here in UK.
So since I don’t have electricity in my cabin I thought about how a solar oven works. I’ve got south facing windows on my cabin. I could be wrong but I’m gonna try putting tin foil under the trays as they also will be next to but Not to close to my wood stove. I’ll see if it works improvise adapt overcome and endure. Love you God bless
Great article! Very informative. How cold does your greenhouse get? do you use any additional heatsource? I live in Upstate NY (50km from Canadian border) and want to start seedlings in my garage with grow lights and heat mats so I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks again. Looking forward to part 2 of the Pepper and Tomato articles!!
Sir. I live in the northeast and am off grid I see extreme temperature swings between day and night. Wondering your thoughts on low wattage heat mats to keep plants alive in un heated greenhouse in spring. The mats would be powered by small generator. Perhaps a layer of plastic over the benches where the flats would sit. I currently have two 30 foot greenhouses that are heated with propane which is very expensive and without a blower to move the air. Very inconsistent temps Thanks
Question- I started my seeds, they germinated quickly and were doing very well. Over the last couple of days, I seem to be experiencing dampening off. I’m in Florida where our weather has been nuts. Heater on today, a/c on tomorrow, back to the heater again. I have all of my tomatoes and peppers indoors. Now, the peppers seem to be happy as they can be. But, the tomatoes are pooping out on me. They are in expensive growing mix, watering not to often, and have given them a couple of smalls shots of recommended fish fertilizer. All of them have true leaves. Now, up to this point, I have not used a heat mat. But, I also think the soil has been getting cold. Do you think putting them on a mat could help at this point?
Another great vid! My Carolina reapers have all sprouted in the last couple weeks on a heat mat and one of them is just starting to get its first set of true leaves. The air temp in my basement is 65f, do u recommend taking them off the heat mat yet, or turn down the heat? It’s at 85f. Cheers from the Kootenays!😁🇨🇦
Heat mats are indispensable. I grow a lot of palm seeds and they need heat and humidity to germinate, primarily bottom heat. Only problem is there are some truly bad mats that don’t give nearly enough heat. Just in case they do work as promised being able to adjust the heat for different seeds is a must, so a thermostat is a must. if a thermostat is not required by the manufacture you bet the heat mat is not going to be warm enough for most tropical plants, this includes things like chillies, paprika, cucumber, aubergines etc, not just palm seedlings. A heat mat comparison would be good. Many are just a heat cable encased in housing, the mat part. Heat cables alone are more reliable and easy to use, just bury in a tray of media like sand and place your trays onto that, they’re also fully waterproof.
I know I’m a bit late, but could you provide a link to those bigger square pots? Would totally help out! Also it’s too bad that those bigger domes only come with the larger trays. My indoor diy grow light setup doesn’t allow for more than a few 40 1″x1″ trays and those sized trays only come with the lower domes :/
Hi there! What should I do if I the different seeds I am growing all require different germination temperatures? For example, I am starting tomato seedlings, which require 86° soil temps, and I am also starting lettuce seedlings, which require 68° soil temps, all in the same seed tray. I am not sure what to do. I am growing on a small scale (two 24-cell trays, 48 cells in total) for my home garden. Because of my setup, I am unable to use smaller, separate seed trays.
Hello I have seedling mate 45 watt, but I don’t think so, feel less. My question is I am trying to long time seed germination ( Bangladeshi bottle groud, hard seeds coat )but didn’t germination properly.i lost many seeds. But didn’t germination. This seeds need 50-60c hot. Mean too hot like India, sudia like this hot will be germination Can please kindly give me idea. I was tried many Meath after see article. Please kindly tell me how do get 50-60 c degree hit for germination. Kindly tell m