Topic: soil warming cable

[georgiesgirl]

Needing help and advice please

Using a soil warming cable for the 1st time,and making heavy weather of it.

I have prepared a wooden frame, laid out cable on sharp sand and covered it with more sand.
Can i now place my seed trays onto this base?
How long does the cable take to warm up
if i was to use a thermostat where is the best place to position it?

Thanks
Anne

[The gardener]

Hi Georgie,

They are very simple to use.

May I suggest that you keep your sand quite damp, this spreads the heat better and produces not too humid an atmosphere around the plants.

Make sure the wires don't touch or cross.

Another thing, I found that the sand dried out quite rapidly, so I cover my sand with a sheet of polythene, and this alleviates the problem.

Put your plants on as soon as you switch on.

Don't expect it to get very hot, you will find it only feels 'aired' to touch.

Re- rod stat have a look under M Click on My Set UP and you will see where I haved placed mine.

[georgiesgirl]

Thankyou Gavin
You have cleared up so many queries i had regarding the soil warming cable.I shall also follow your advice on using the polythene.
Thanks again,on being so helpful.
Anne

[tim]

Anyone want a soil warming cable - thermostatic? Does a metre x metre box. Reason - I've progressed onto a 6' x 3' heatpad.

Poly cover, Big G? - suggest fibretex or permealay or capillary matting are more 'sympathetic' and allow the substrate to ' breathe', and to receive water from above, and the plants roots to draw up some moisture? = Tim

Just realised - you are not allowed to sell previously owned electrics?? But one can still, presumably, pass them on?? = Tim