seeds seed mat heat issue

[growyourown]

hey lads and ladies, quick query for y'all

i have this type of seed tray and this type of heat mat:


and i noticed the mats themselves were getting quite hot; putting that thermometer directly on the mat registered 35C. i used a tea towel to take away some of the direct heat from the trays after i noticed this. i don't know what 35C at the mat does to my trays who as you can see i top-watered, so the green base reservoir used to bottom-water or drain is just open air for me. obviously plants could and did still sprout at full heat, i just wonder how hot is too hot where i'm doing more harm than good, and if i am getting near that hot.

my mats have no adjustment, so i wanted to see if you guys think buying a thermostat with soil probe thing to plug the mats into to regulate is necessary, or should i just put a towel again to lessen the direct heat, or is the full heat from any commercial mat "built-in safe enough" to keep from cooking seeds?

especially since it's black friday weekend and things can be come by for 20% less, does the <$30 spent on a probe thermostat contribute enough to making ideal growth conditions to be worth it?

thanks my friends for any input
-rob

 

[Bou]

Look for this device; cheap, reliable and easy to use. Problem solved!

 

[CaneDog]

I have an Inkbird and some of the type that come with the mats. The Inkbird seems better/higher quality and mine 's lasted for years. I also find the towel-under and towel-sandwich methods work fine with that general type of mat. If I'm not germinating something that's slow and/or presents germination challenges, I often don't worry about a thermostat, but it's nice to have one at a times.

 

[Downriver]

I thought those Vivosun mats came with a temperature controller. Mine did, but maybe not all of them? No matter. You can buy a new mat, with controller, for $24 US.

Vivosun 10x20.25

 

[mlh5953]

Just to echo what everyone else has said...
I use the cheap Jump Start thermostat set to 80F (about 27C).
Your seeds will appreciate it and your mat should last longer too.

 

[Siv]

I also use an Inkbird thermostat - with the probe in the planting medium, it's measuring the temp exactly where you want it. The added benefit is that you can set limits where it will alarm if it goes above or below your setpoints. This has come in very handy when one of my mats stopped working and I would never have known.

 

[Bou]

I also use an Inkbird thermostat - with the probe in the planting medium, it's measuring the temp exactly where you want it. The added benefit is that you can set limits where it will alarm if it goes above or below your setpoints. This has come in very handy when one of my mats stopped working and I would never have known.

Exactly what I do since one of mine got a little too excited and cooked all my seeds as a result

 

[HellfireFarm]

I start in those 72-cell trays set directly on heat mats & never have encountered a problem.

 

[Marturo]

I replaced my heating cables with 2 of these & have not melted any flats yet.

https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-x20-75-Seedling-Digital-Thermostat/dp/B074N2TTHP/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?crid=2DE501OQYEYKI&keywords=20+x+40+inch+heating+mat+with+thermostat&qid=1706553285&sprefix=20+x+40+inch+heating+mat+with+thermosta%2Caps%2C1679&sr=8-4-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[growyourown]

thanks. a co-worker may be gifting me an inkbird thermostat i can plug the mats into, as i did not want to buy new mats, and never pulled the trigger on a separate one during the holiday season.