Using Heat Mats and Grow Lights to Make Germinating Seeds and Maturing Seedlings and Young Plants Easy
Utilize our indoor heat mat and grow light with T5 bulb to get your seeds off to the right start this gardening season. The seed germinating heat mat is designed to hold a steady temperature that will subtly heat the soil surrounding your seeds from the bottom-up. Once your seeds have germinated with help from the heat mat, it's time to move your new sprouts underneath a grow light to ensure their continued, vigorous growth.
Ferry-Morse Seed Germinating Heat Mat
A Ferry-Morse Heat Mat is the secret to speedy and successful seed germination! Seeds need a warm environment to germinate. Nature provides this in the Spring when the ground warms. With our heat mat, you get a jump start on your growing season by starting indoors when the outside temperatures are still too cold to garden. Having healthy, strong plants ready to transplant as soon as the danger of frost has passed will add weeks to your growing season and extend your harvest and yield.
Our heat mat gently warms the soil surrounding your seeds from the bottom-up! The warmth of your soil signals the seed that it’s time to grow. The heat is subtle but constant, averaging 80°. Be sure to keep your greenhouse dome over the tray throughout the germination process to make sure the soil does not dry out. The growing medium needs to stay moist, but not soggy, throughout the germination process. Leave your heat mat plugged in until you see the majority of seeds have sprouted. Once the seeds have sprouted, unplug and remove your heat mat.
Ferry-Morse Indoor Grow Light with T5 Bulb
Most seeds don’t need light to germinate, but they do need sunlight to grow! Grow lights provide both the intensity and spectrum of light that seedlings need. If your seedlings don't receive the light they need, they will become "leggy" (tall and thin) as they stretch toward light. As a result the stems won't have the strength they need.
After the first sign of germination, when you see green sprouts burst through the soil, it's time to move your plants off your heat mat and under a grow light. For best results, leave your grow light on for 12-16 hours a day. Seedlings do need to rest as well, so don't leave the light on 24 hours/day. The grow light will allow your plants to believe they are living their best lives in the sun! Our High Output T5 full daylight spectrum obtains faster growth and consistency.
Which Seeds Should I Start Indoors?
Start seeds indoors to give longer-to-mature plants more growing time before the outdoor planting season begins. For vegetables this includes tomatoes, pepper, cucumbers, eggplant, and squash. Flower varieties that prefer to start indoors include morning glories, pansies, zinnias, cosmos, and petunias.
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*Gardening blog piece updated February 2021
5 comments
you all are a special inspiriation for someone who woula like to plant a seed/plant watch it grow and bring fort a flower or a fruit. may the young generation come unto you…
My light is not working and I just bought it less than two weeks ago… Guys I spent 40 something at home depot for this. I stoned middle schooler can make something more stable than this…🤨
I grew up on a farm in Iowas in the 40’s and 50’s We had a huge family (17) and always had a garden. We were too busy with childcare to start seeds indoors. Dad plowed and discked the huge garden and we raked it smooth and sowed seeds. We always had a great yield; Grandma would come to help Mom can. I live in South Texas now. I have a container garden and got a greenhouse last year. The earliest I have planted a garden was Feb 14, sowed seeds right into the buckets. I use about 3/4 bucket of compost; add crushed egg shell and coffee grounds and add potting soil. I found a formula for making my own potting soil online. I also found a great weed killer online. Don’t spray where you want to plant something. It’s 1 gallon vinegar, 1 cup table salt and a little detergent to make the spray stick. DON’T buy Roundup; it causes non Hodgkin’s lymphoma. From a retired nurse. Stay safe, folks.
Lorrie,
We sell T5 Bulb replacements for our Grow Light right on this website! Please just search T5 Bulb and it should come right up for you. :)
Where do I purchase replacement bulbs for the tabletop grow light?