tophersmith

Does anyone kno where you can purchase the heating pads for bannana seed germination?

CookieCows

there's some on ebay ... don't know if the price is any good or anything about them http://cgi.ebay.com/SEEDLING-HEATING...QQcmdZViewItem

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D_&_T

here is a site we have be planning getting one from

http://www.growerssolution.com/page/GS/CTGY/heatmats

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Tropicallvr

That's the type i use, both those links have good prices. They seem to have "hot spots" on them though. I usally have 5 chunks(inch or less thick) of styrofoam between the mats and the trays so that it heats more even and it stays cooler(can get well over 100F if directly on mat, and cook seeds)



Forgot to say on this post that i use the one that is big enough to hold 4 trays, so it might get alot hotter than the smaller ones.

CookieCows

I've got seeds coming and have never germintated anything but garden vegetables so this is VERY exciting for me. I would be sort of nervous buying a heat pad off ebay so glad you came up with another site Dan. Cause what if it was defective.

I'm listening to what you are saying about putting styrofoam down and why you do it. I guess I should buy a heat pad also. Top of the fridge may not do the trick this time? LOL These aren't bananas but I want to be careful with them. (Edible date palm, Cedar of Lebanon and Moso Bamboo)

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Tropicallvr

A heat mat is priceless when it comes to germinating tough seeds.
I bet the fridge trick would do it with the Moso, and date palm, but a heat mat is alot more tidy, not to mention fun to check up on.

CosmikDebris

I also use the heating mat from hydrofarm. I find them to be the safest and most reliable.

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taroking

jellyfish_sky

What about heating cables? Are they as good as heating mats? I've been considering about getting a mat as well, since my xmas light pad is not the safest

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Celine

Bananaddiction~!

CookieCows

Celine I have been thinking about how to make my own also instead of spending the money. I'm still up in the air about it.

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mrbungalow

Go to pet stores and ask for the heating mats used for reptiles. Heaps cheaper than those sold for gardening-purpouses. Then go to Radio-Shack or a similar store and buy an electrical timer. (The type with a "dial" above the socket) This setup has germinated thousand of plants for me. Cheap and easy!

Erlend

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CookieCows

Thanks for the tip.. I'll check that out! I already have one of those timers.

Deb

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Tropicallvr

I wonder how dangerous some of the Non-nursery heat pads are. I have set gallon plants on the hydrofarm farms one, and watered directly onto them(sitting in a puddle of water and no problem)

CookieCows

I don't know what a hydrofarm farm heat element is We probably have those heating elements that you put in the water troughs for livestock or dog water buckets. We have a heat rock that my grandson used when he had a snake and I think I'll rig something up with that for now as I took my 7yr old grand daughter out seed hunting this morning and we have to sit down and get them started. Yikes... I'm close to getting off the thread subject so will post what we're planting on the appropriate thread!

Deb

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Richard

The temperature you germinate at can be important. Several people in this forum report success with temperature fluctuation in the 70F to 90F range. Search this forum on "temperature" to read the posts. There presently is no page in the wiki devoted to seed germination.

The cheapest heat mat you can buy is at the drug store -- for aches and pains. These typically have 3 settings. The lowest setting is usually delivers 85F. I use it for rising bread in the winter when the room temperature is too cool.

The heaters at the pet stores are often categorized by specific animals, because they have certain needs. All of them I have examined are regulated at 75F or higher.

The hydrofarm heat mats ( http://www.hydrofarm.com ) are advertised to keep the temperature 10 to 20F above ambient temperature. The ones I've tested maintain low 70's F in the garage where the temperature is 50F, and shut off at 80F when the room temperature rises. Hydrofarm also sells a temperature regulator for its heat mat which will keep the temperature from rising above a specified value. For many fruits and vegetables, the optimum seed germination temperature and scion rooting temperature is 65F (but apparently not for bananas).

Burpee Co. ( http://www.burpee.com/ ) and others also sell heat mats. Those I've tested are unregulated, performing similar (sometimes identical product) to the hydrofarm.

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the flying dutchman

There presently is no page in the wiki devoted to seed germination.

Feel yourself free to add one Richard, you have our permission

Ron

Richard

Thanks for the offer, but I don't intend to grow bananas from seed. However, if someone were to start assimilating information on this topic, then I do recall seeing a "Review of the Literature" paper published at Tamil Nadu Agricultural Univ. a few years back. I hope this helps!

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chong

Great tip for the folks, Erlend. I buy my electrical timers, with 2 outlets, from Harbor Freight for $3.99 on sale. Reg. $5.99!

chong

Also, for temperature control of heat mats, I use a remote bulb thermostat placed inside the middle tray (I have a 5 tray mat from Hydrofarm). I bought the t'stat from WW Grainger. I work in the HVAC industry and I pay the lowest wholesale prices for HVAC equipment with them. If you have friends who are HVAC techs or engineers, you can ask them to buy them for you.

I usually set the temps at 90degF. To fluctuate the temperature, I jus open the dome to the tray that needs the lower temps for the number of hours it needs to be lower.

weirdone66

i'm trying to grow a bananier plant seeds thats what the package says its called and I was wondering we are using a desk lamp but i heard to use a heating pad. What is better a lamp or a heating pad?