I've been starting my peppers indoors for years using a 4' 8 bulb fluorescent grow light. Last year 4 of the 8 ballasts quit working (or whatever you call it). I've had a hard time finding a new quality 8 bulb fixture, so I decided to explore LED lighting instead. The one problem is my grow setup is in my basement and it gets pretty cold down there in the winter averaging around 60F. I've used my 8 bulb light fixture as the main source of heat for the plants and it's worked fairly well, but if I switch to a LED setup I'll loose that source of heat. So my question is, do any of you grow in a fairly cold area of the house and if so, what do you use as a heat source for your plants?
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lighting Heat source for plants in a cold basement
- Thread starter turbo
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heat mats are a great idea, also helps to warm the soil more directly. and they are cheap to buy, under $20 for a basic medium-sized one (i use 2 for the amount of seeds i start)
other things you could do:
-use a grow tent or somehow enclose the table/shelf so the modest heat from the led light doesn't dissipate in all directions.
-use an actual heater (can be expensive)
other things you could do:
-use a grow tent or somehow enclose the table/shelf so the modest heat from the led light doesn't dissipate in all directions.
-use an actual heater (can be expensive)
I have and use heat mats for germination, but have found that using them post germination can over heat the roots when the plants are young, especially if you accidentally let the soil get too dry. Also, they won't really help with creating enough ambient heat to help with good green leaf growth. I guess I could raise the plants up about 2" above the heat mat once they have germinated, add a grow tent to capture both the light and grow mat heat. That might be enough
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We moved from the same Fluorescent set up you have.
Trying to keep the room cool was the problem then, now with 4 LEDs & 2 large heating pads we use a small Oil filled heater.
We use 1 in the bathroom, 1 in the plant room & 1 in the chicken coop a good safe heater for any use.
https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basic...AUTOMATED&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
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Do you leave the heating mats on after the seeds germinate and grow a bit?We moved from the same Fluorescent set up you have.
Trying to keep the room cool was the problem then, now with 4 LEDs & 2 large heating pads we use a small Oil filled heater.
We use 1 in the bathroom, 1 in the plant room & 1 in the chicken coop a good safe heater for any use.
https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Basics-Protection-Oil-Filled-ETL-certified/dp/B07HGFB3FQ/ref=sr_1_1_ffob_sspa?crid=1J50XN5ZPEHKR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.f1yG8ipMDrpvWlA6XNZhseHLnnVCjpAAV-p2qwpDB8C-FbFhf756IbqknVYlZtxl3abf1YhjVHYrrVNTpumI5wKdZM_V3VMiLnpTYACmg5lUhf3pKvEQVw661f-pRwqV3hRdvBs8Asfr7cS2dw453wqGDaamF1L2gt34hgia-kUr6nb-7EIPeVLCCYui6tcThrlBM-2yAUHMF9dIl_UH8W6i7a6LLDtfq75cleMZJaE4R98ARbR6G73yLspTsUmvN1H3QIYjg_bhmxT7LHSsqKpDBgwkCxu7CltcZ4eKgOw.VrMdma6LjXu7D-sWQKX5RAa1wVl_zz1IjqO7V1lc5lA&dib_tag=se&keywords=oil+filled+heaters+for+indoor+use+radiator&qid=1730323610&sprefix=oil+filled+heater,aps,441&sr=8-1-spons&ufe=INHOUSE_INSTALLMENTS:US_IHI_3M_HARDLINES_AUTOMATED&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
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No we keep the room at around 70 F to 75 F.
Over heating the roosts after they get going has many negative effects.
Just keep the room out of the 60s F you don't need fungus now.
Bou
eXtreme
If you use a temp controller (like the Inbird-308 for example), you will avoid any risk of cooking your seedlings.
Can you use sheets of styrofoam & space blankets to make a smaller space in the room?
CaneDog
eXtreme
If you decide to use a tent, a simple ceramic-style reptile heat lamp in the tent will do a lot for the internal temperature. This works well with an Inkbird controller, like Bou suggests. A controller isn't necessary, but it helps regulate temperature better and can save some electricity $$ as the heat source wouldn't be running 24/7.
I rebuilt an old refrigerator to a climate cell, so since I'm working in a smaller environment this might not apply to you but I will tell you how I keep it warm!!
I use heath wires (from aliexpress, but works perfectly
). I attached these wires through the sides of my refrigerator and attached them to a thermostat. These wires heat up quite well and are cheap too. It kinda works like a mat, but you can freely choose wherever you wanna put them.
I use heath wires (from aliexpress, but works perfectly
). I attached these wires through the sides of my refrigerator and attached them to a thermostat. These wires heat up quite well and are cheap too. It kinda works like a mat, but you can freely choose wherever you wanna put them.