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Fri, Apr 9, 10 at 15:33
| I used a heat mat this year to germinate with great results. My plants (mainly peppers and tomatoes)are 5 weeks old and seem healthy but small. My house is very cold. Usually around 60 degrees. I'm thinking about using my heat pad to keep my seedling warmer. I've heard that you shouldn't do this because the plants will get leggy, but if I set the thermostat lower wouldn't that help the plants? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| A common mis-perception. ;) Not only can the use of bottom heat post-germination cause leggyness but it also retards root development. In fact it can even "cook" (kill) young roots. So you would be sacrificing root development - which is the most important form of growth at this stage - for top growth. With seedlings, slow top growth is what you are after. That's why professional growers in greenhouses work very hard to maintain air temps of 65 degrees max. Dave |
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| Ok, no heat mat for the seedlings. I'm going to pot up in a day or two. Maybe that will get'em growing. Thanks for the help. |
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