Heating mats

Ok, so do you always need a heating mat. It doesn't get cold for very long here i.e., it's 75 today. Sometimes we have a few days of really cold, well, cold to us). Do I need a heating mat?

Good grief - you're in Texas! do people in Texas need heating mats? How warm is your house? If the air temp is 86 degrees inside, I doubt you need heat mats.

On the other hand Our Old House averages 60 degrees - day and night - during the winter. So, I have no hope of starting some seeds at home. (Can start them great at the office however!)

I bought a seedmat and use it in the basement which is probably less than 55 degrees.

The bottom-line answer to your question, LorraineR, is no, you don't always need the bottom heat provided by a gro-mat to get successful germination. But it helps smooth out the temp variation that naturally occurs at this time of year in our funny zone, and the constancy of the "ground temp" (never letting it get too cold) seems to make a real difference. I used the gro-mats in Mansfield, Tx many years ago for my vegetable crops, and I consistently had stuff to harvest 2-4 weeks ahead of people who didn't. Don't REALLY know if the grow mats made the difference, but intuitively, planting out bigger, more well developed plants seems like it SHOULD result in quicker harvests...

Lorraine, i dont know where Gilmer is but Im in San Antonio and even with the "cold blasts" (chuckle) that we get i've never used a heat pad. I've grown seeds all winter long in my inexpensive plastic wanna be greenhouses and had no problem at all. When Im really determined to grow a particular plant especially from seed I do a mini green house in the green house ( i use clear plastic cake containers from the grocery store or even Taco Bell containers to germinate) When I first started I know I looked into buying some of the heating pads just cuz people up north were saying how essential they were. But in time I have found that although we arent as lucky as someone in some place like Hawaii we are luckier than those up north........

I think a lot depends on what you're growing. I start a lot of tropicals from seed and many of them need bottom heat to germinate, so even though I'm in a warm climate I still use heating mats.

Doesn't consistent heat also factor in?

I think what Anaid said is dead-on. My experience has been that no, you DON'T always need a heat mat for germination. You can sometimes do just fine without one. I have many times. But when dealing with "fussy" seed (e.g. Vigna caracalla), the CONSISTENT soil temp provided by a heat mat (tip o' the hat, Pagancat) often makes the difference between 20% germination and 90% (those are real measures on the vine cited, this year vs. last, no heat mat vs heat mat. Different seed though, obviously, so...).

You don't always need a heat mat. It really does depend on what seeds you are starting. I never used a heat mat prior to last year, and I was always happy with what came up. But, after I got the heat mat - the seeds just seemed to pop up! They loved it! I won't be without one again, that's for sure.

Guess I'll have to get one, even though I probably don't need it here. In winter I keep it about 68 to 70 inside and sometimes turn it down when I go to bed. (I live on SS so can't have those big light bills!!0
Soooo, I may need one for those cold days even though we don't have that much.
Anaid, I'm in East Texas about 75 miles from Louisiana border. I lived in San Antonia for a while and I can't remember if there was that much difference

Loraine, you know where I am in central Illinois and my dineing room averages 67 and you saw my aquarium with the baby hostas which now I have 36 of. You talk about cold it is going to be 0 degrees Thurs and we have put in $1200,00 in propane just since the 15th of Dec. You shouldn't need a heat matt for inside if you have lights over the top for a little more warmth. Did you get your dmail? Friend BEV

The air temperature is not what greminates the seeds. It is the soil temperature. Some plants require 70-75 degrees in soil tempersture to germinate, others need a cooler temperature like 65 degreees. With a heat mat and a temperature control, you can create your own greenhouse effect. Keeping the soil at the requried temperature to germinate. You need to know the soil temperature required of each seed you grow to germinate at. since I have sued temperature controls on my heat mats, I have doubbled my success on germiantion.

"Stay Happy and Keep Gardening"

Good points, Ironsides! Lorraine doesn't NEED a heat mat to germinate seeds. They'll germinate just fine when the soil temp suits their needs the old fashioned way (Mother Nature). But the heat mat can speed up the process, depending on the specific plant. Last year, I tried to fool Mother Nature by sticking 6 Swiss Chard seeds into a flat of Impatiens walleriana I was starting on a heat mat. Three weeks later, 94% of the Impy's had germinated; none of the Swiss Chard. They never did germinate while on the heat mat. About 3 weeks later, it was time to pot up the Impy's which I did. But I was rushed, so I just put the flat with the 6 remaining Swiss Chard seeds on the floor under a bench to get it out of the way. Couple of weeks after that, I needed the flat for some other seeds and when I pulled it out, I found 6 healthy (if somewhat gangly) Swiss Chard plants. The Chard needs cooler temps to germinate. The floor of the GH suited it just fine, so all 6 seeds jumped into action. Momma N wins again...