Still need heating mat if air temps are high enough?

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Hokie_Cactus
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2022 5:54 pm
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Still need heating mat if air temps are high enough?

Post by Hokie_Cactus »

Hello everyone! I am new to growing cactus from seed and have had good results using a heating mat and artificial lighting with the baggie method. I live in a small studio apartment and want to keep things as organized as possible, so I built some self-contained propagation boxes that I will use soon. I did some trial runs without a heating mat and found that the temps inside the box get up to about 85-88 degrees F when the lights are running, and closer to almost 100 degrees F if I place the box on the heating mat. My question is this: is still desirable to use a heating mat to supply bottom heat if air temps are high enough without it? Or is it perhaps better to ventilate the box so that I can provide bottom heat without inside air temps becoming too hot?
LateBloomer
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 12:15 am
Location: Curitiba, Brasil

Re: Still need heating mat if air temps are high enough?

Post by LateBloomer »

People may have different experiences but I don't think heating mats are needed if temps are over 80
Hokie_Cactus
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2022 5:54 pm
Location: Minneapolis, MN

Re: Still need heating mat if air temps are high enough?

Post by Hokie_Cactus »

LateBloomer wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 10:50 pm People may have different experiences but I don't think heating mats are needed if temps are over 80
Thanks for your input LateBloomer. I sewed 13 different species and 8 of them have germinated within a week without using a heating mat, including a Ferocactus species. Hopefully the good growth continues during the next few months!
LateBloomer
Posts: 195
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 12:15 am
Location: Curitiba, Brasil

Re: Still need heating mat if air temps are high enough?

Post by LateBloomer »

Just to share for others that read your thread... I'm having reasonable germination rate with night temps in the 50f and day temps never breaking 75f. Fresh seeds are most important as well as humidity... obviously warm temperature are great but I've never used heating mats and have been fine HOWEVER the black planters do warm up with the sunlight. Also to keep high humidity despite temps never breaking 75f temps near seeds easily raise over 85f even up to 100f since I use sunlight the cling wrap become a greenhouse quickly... I use a double shade cloth when days are sunny and no overcast.
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