ThorGanjason
Well-Known Member
So I was moving right along with my grow, germinating seeds like crazy and putting them in soil. They were all doing great, slightly slowed growth from learning how much water they needed but healthy plants all in all.
Then the weather started getting warmer and I had to buy an air conditioner for the room, and it started to throw everything off. I would water at night and come back to check the soil and it would feel really cold. Before I knew it, my seeds were turning to mush and my plants started getting realllly sick. My temperature thing would read like 70° at night, but apparently the soil was getting much colder at might when it was wet.
Since my closet was really cramped and I wanted to clear it out anyways, I went in search of supplies. I just had my plants sitting on a table in some trays, and when I would water it would puddle up in the corners.
My plants started to suffer from a phosphorus deficiency BC it was being locked out from the cold. I bought two heating pads to put under my trays and run at night, but they come with this damn auto-shutoff function, so they would only run for a half hour and then shut off. Furthermore, all of the energy was being transferred into the water in the trays, and so instead of the energy heating the soil it was used by the water to change from the liquid to the gas phase. And then I would fall asleep, so basically all they were doing was drying most of the water out of the tray and then shutting off before they actually heated anything.
So I made a setup that allows my runoff to drain in a controlled fashion. I found a lid at walmart that was perfect to use as a tray, and has all these little channels for the water to drain. I did a little work with the heating pads and managed to bypass the auto shutoff feature and leave them on high, and then taped them to the bottom of the lid. Here's what it looks like:
The channels work perfectly to keep the water from sitting and keeping the plants soggy. This was a huge problem for me that constantly led to over watering. I drilled a couple holes and put a bowl underneath, I'll probably put a funnel and bottle eventually but at least now I have a way ton check the pH of my runoff now.
I've been running the heating pads for like 4 days, but only with the new setup for 2. Like I said, at first the heating pads weren't doing much. But now, for the first time in what feels like weeks, my plants are FINALLY THRIVING AGAIN!!!!
I had heard that if you can keep your roots at a steady 72° that it would do amazing things, and I have to say I have turned into a true believer. I really thought I was going to lose my plants, but they are def. coming back. I need to buy a timer tonight for my heating pads so they only run like 4-5 hours in the wee hours of the night. I had no other option when I was wiring them up but to make it to where they are on as long as they are plugged up.
Then the weather started getting warmer and I had to buy an air conditioner for the room, and it started to throw everything off. I would water at night and come back to check the soil and it would feel really cold. Before I knew it, my seeds were turning to mush and my plants started getting realllly sick. My temperature thing would read like 70° at night, but apparently the soil was getting much colder at might when it was wet.
Since my closet was really cramped and I wanted to clear it out anyways, I went in search of supplies. I just had my plants sitting on a table in some trays, and when I would water it would puddle up in the corners.
My plants started to suffer from a phosphorus deficiency BC it was being locked out from the cold. I bought two heating pads to put under my trays and run at night, but they come with this damn auto-shutoff function, so they would only run for a half hour and then shut off. Furthermore, all of the energy was being transferred into the water in the trays, and so instead of the energy heating the soil it was used by the water to change from the liquid to the gas phase. And then I would fall asleep, so basically all they were doing was drying most of the water out of the tray and then shutting off before they actually heated anything.
So I made a setup that allows my runoff to drain in a controlled fashion. I found a lid at walmart that was perfect to use as a tray, and has all these little channels for the water to drain. I did a little work with the heating pads and managed to bypass the auto shutoff feature and leave them on high, and then taped them to the bottom of the lid. Here's what it looks like:
The channels work perfectly to keep the water from sitting and keeping the plants soggy. This was a huge problem for me that constantly led to over watering. I drilled a couple holes and put a bowl underneath, I'll probably put a funnel and bottle eventually but at least now I have a way ton check the pH of my runoff now.
I've been running the heating pads for like 4 days, but only with the new setup for 2. Like I said, at first the heating pads weren't doing much. But now, for the first time in what feels like weeks, my plants are FINALLY THRIVING AGAIN!!!!
I had heard that if you can keep your roots at a steady 72° that it would do amazing things, and I have to say I have turned into a true believer. I really thought I was going to lose my plants, but they are def. coming back. I need to buy a timer tonight for my heating pads so they only run like 4-5 hours in the wee hours of the night. I had no other option when I was wiring them up but to make it to where they are on as long as they are plugged up.
they hop...like micro caterpillars that hop 
