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seeds Heated mat on seedlings needed?

Proud Marine Dad

Proud Marine Dad

I am using my propagator this season indoors instead of in the garage but once the seeds germinate I will have to put them in the garage under the 6500k fluorescent lights but there is no heat in the garage. Would temps of 50-60 degrees out there be sufficient or should I purchase some more 17W seedling mats to keep them warmer while out there in the garage in trays with 4" pots? :think:
 
50-60 is pretty low... and I would advise against exposing young plants to those temps... but on the other hand heating mats are a pain.  Can you not set them up in the house?
 
They would not have any problem at all with that temp except for maybe growing slower, but not sure about the growing. My previous mystery plants died to frost outside but before that they did not give a **** about temperature. They were flowering in 1 celsius degree for weeks, all of them. No yellowing or anything, they even partly froze and survived with a few less leaves.
I know you mentioned seedlings, but still, all pepper plants are super sturdy in my opinion, even young ones. Select a hero and put it to the test before moving all of them, so it can prove ;)
 
As long as the soil stays a few degrees above freezing they will survive. Like others have said the only drawback will be slower growth.
 
my only concern would be the lack of humidity and cool moist soil that dries very slowly on the roots.
hope it works for you, best of luck.
 
Thanks guys. I need to come up with something as some of my super hots have germinated and are thin looking so they need to get out of the domed propagator and into 4" pots with some light so those cotyledons can do their work and get some real leaves started. I started earlier than ever this season so that is why I am scrambling to figure something out. 
 
I've got my in the garage with a 2 ft 4 bulb t5 and heat mat on them and they seem to be doing very well.  I moved them out there as soon as they started sprouting and remove the humidity dome.  Its been cold here off and on, but I would guess ambient temp in the garage has been +/-50, definitely lower at times.
 
Heat mats can work wonders... but in my experience they just cause issues with maintaining a consistent moisture content (they will cause your media to dry out at an uneven and rapid rate.)  However, if you can make sure to keep them hydrated, then your plants will grow much faster and be very happy (roots love to dry out and then be soaked in rapid cycles)
 
I had heat mats and took them out because my plants grow just fine with the heat of the lights and the additional heat from the mats promotes disease in hydro 

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