• Do you need help identifying a 🌢?
    Is your plant suffering from an unknown issue? 🀧
    Then ask in Identification and Diagnosis.

seeds Using a heat mat post germination

georgej

georgej

Hey all.

Apartments in Japan are really poorly insulated, so it can get really cold indoors. For example - its nearly 3pm and it's only 8Β°c in my bedroom, usually dips to one or two at night.

I'm gonna be building my grow box/light set up inside my closet to keep it warm as possible, however it still won't be too warm. Until end of march.

Can I still use my germination heat mat, even after they are growing, to give them to best chance?
Is it going to cause problems with bottom watering etc?
I feel a space heater isn't gonna work well and will be dangerous /dry out plants too much.

Your opinions appreciated.
Cheers!
 
What kind of light(s) are you using? They might give off plenty of heat depending on the size of your grow box. Eventually you will want less than 24/7 light though. The heat mat might come in handy then.
 
γŠγ―γ‚ˆγ†γ”γ–γ„γΎγ™
γ‚ˆγ‚γ—γγŠι‘˜γ„γ—γΎγ™
γ―γ˜γ‚γΎγ—γ¦
Guess my Nihongo-ga ain't what it used to be :)
Hopefully that makes half sense....
I definitely wouldn't do the space heater thing unless its one of the newer ones (ceramic) with thermostat and the anti tip switches.
Not sure about the heat mat but can't see why that would hurt them at all.
 
50w fluorescent strip 'colour' light. Got given it with my axolotl tank, but they hate bright lights, so it's been sat doing nothing.

Hehe good stuff hops barley. But Ohayo gozaimasu is good morning. People will think you are a slob if you use it after about 10am ;)
 
Ha I posted it at 1:14 am. Technically morning...
How's about こにけは

Normally the greetings I get is just the shortened γƒžγ‚Ήγ€‚ I get started before the coffee starts ;)
I don't think the fluorescents are gonna give ya the heat you need to keep them warm enough. The heat mat or some other supplemental heat will be needed.
γŠγ•γγ«γ—γ€γ‚Œγ—γΎγ™
 
Yeh took me ages to get used to talking and listening without masu cause I'd learned business japanese in England.

I'm building my grow box now, will do some temperature tests, but I think I need the heat mat. Good thing I ordered a 20"x20" one last minute
 
I say use it as long as you need. Mine only heats like 20F above the room temp, so if yours is anything like that, you run little risk of giving them too much warmth.
 
Keep the box off the floor , and make sure it's still ventilated . Styrofoam is a cheap insulator or u can get aluminum camping blanket from a camping store to keep the heat in . Most lights even if small give off a fair bit of heat but may take a few hours to see any increase . Heat mats rock but depending on where it set up I'd be wary of leaving it on and going out . Good luck and wud love to c sum pics of ur grow box
 
I got padded aluminium sheeting for the inside. Reflective and insulation.
I'll get some pics when I have tidied it up a bit tomorrow. Didn't get to get it perfect cause had to cook habanero stew for the missus. It still looks ghetto cause I got everything from the 100 yen shop. The same products were six times the price at the hardware store a few doors down.

The closet is warmer than the rest of the house. There's a wooden floor above the actual floor.
Because a wardrobe in Japan is huge with sliding doors, I actually slept in it a few times last year to stay warm! ! Haha. That enclosed space really keeps the heat in!

Planning to put a rubber mat under the heat mat. My grow box has no bottom, but probably gonna put foil between the heat mat and pots so light is bounced around from every angle.

Like a say, gonna do temperature tests with just the light first and built vents in the top. (initially by accident, but I'll explain that later)

If I put lights on a timer for night when I'm home, are plants gonna go into shock when they go into daylight at a different time of day?
 
I'm using a small heat mat to keep a couple of rare seedlings (very very late starts...) alive in my garage. It's brutally cold, way less than 8C at night.
Like Justaguy said any heat source helps.
Place a polystyrene sheet under the mat so it does not lose heat down to the floor and close your growbox to trap all the heat coming from lights.
Mind that i'm talking of barely keep things alive, you will notice very slow growth with such low temps.
I used to keep the box inside my room but circustances forced me to move it... this season will be tricky for me, especially for germination stage...

georgej said:
are plants gonna go into shock when they go into daylight at a different time of day?
Click to expand...

I've never noticed shocks, as long as you keep a consistent light/dark cycle (eg. 16 hours on , 8 off).
Switching light on/off each day at different times may stunt plants so avoid it.
When you'll move plants outside just harden them off, exposing gradually to sun light or using a cold frame and you will be ok.

Good luck

Datil
 
Hadn't thought about polystyrene under the mat. Cheers! Luckily I can also get it at the hundred yen shop.
Built the box from Styrofoam and aluminium insulation so should have a good insulation. Can't wait to get growing, but I'm getting my set up sorted now so there's no half measures because I forgot something.

I've come up with a weird design to hang the light, because I have in mind the chance of an earthquake. So the whole thing is built to flex and swing without shattering!
 
You can use it no problem,it will keep the root zone warm but they will also dry out quicker as well.So just being sure to not let them dry out is the only real concern!

Good Luck,

Nick
 
Cheers fella.
I'm gonna be checking a few times a day. I have my spray bottle. Peroxide from work incase things go mouldy and dedication to my current plants that makes my wife jealous haha. Hurry up amazon and give me my heat mat! ;)
 
As promised.

Outside :
wUkC9.jpg


Inside:
Zro6q.jpg


So as it's an aquarium light, it's supposed to sit on a ledge. I've tied it with wires. I can adjust the height and also it can sway if there's an earthquake. Polystyrene underneath, Styrofoam and aluminium insulation sheeting. The flaps on top mean I can vent should the need arise.

Pretty proud of this. And everything is from the hundred yen shop (apart from the light, that was a freebie)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top