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.

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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.

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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.