Hot Water Baseboards as heat mat alternatives?

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sbarr Albany (again), NY(Zone 5b) Feb 08, 2003

OK, another one of my strange ideas - of which there are several and are frequently abandoned.

New York house - I have pipes around the edge of the room, they're full of hot water and this is how we heat the house.

Since I don't have heat mats, I have been lining seeds that need heat to germinate around the edge of the room a few inches away from the baseboards. Downside - once they've sprouted, I'll need to put them on shelves under lights and they won't have the ready heat. I had intended to put them in the basement, but I'm inclined to put them on a 5 shelf rack here in my office which tends to be the hottest room in the house.

Any ideas?

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vic Feb 08, 2003

I'm a novice compared to most of the seeds sowers here but I'm pretty sure once most seeds have germinated they don't need the warm temps as much as the light so you should be fine. I think it sounds like a GREAT idea!

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Horseshoe Efland, NC(Zone 7a) Feb 08, 2003

I agree w/Vic...one the plants are up they will often do better with lower temps.
Course now...am wondering if you can build a frame of somekind that sits against the wall and includes the baseboard pipes. If you wrap it in plastic and have shelves in it, that would hold the heat in and make a mini indoor germination area, eh? (Ya'll can see my mind is worrisome to me sometimes, eh? Sheesh.)

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golddog Western, PA(Zone 6a) Feb 12, 2003

Thanks for the idea. I have hot water heat with radiators covered with a wooden frame. First I am going to see just how hot this environment is. Anything above 80 might be too hot.

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