heat mat question

anyone know where to get a good heat mat that may be under 30 dollars?? a friend needs one and is on a strick budget. thanks Marie


found some at Park seeds but those are not cheap.

Here's one from Charley's Greenhouse
http://www.charleysgreenhouse.com/index.cfm?page=_a3&cid3=416&cid1=175&cid2=415
I've seen the same one at local stores for a few dollars less, so you might tell her to check around at local garden centers.

Look for a dog or kennel heat mat. They'll be a bit bigger, so make sure it first where you want it to go. Normally I wouldn't suggest something that is not rated or designed for plants, but kennel mats would be designed for indoor /outdoor appliactions and occasional water (not submersion, but plant dippings)

The prices I've seen have been astonisingly low and a fella either here or on another foum got some and said they appeared to be made of the same kind of material as one he bought whichwas designed for plants.

Suzy

imzadi, Lee Valley Tools is $5 less than Charleys Greenhouse. but check out your local nursery I found one for $25 so I saved the shipping. also heat cables work well they're a little more work to set up but I bought one that was $25 and covered twice the area as a heat mat. I made one box that was 2 times the width of a normal mini greenhouse, and the same length and stapled the cable around the area of the box. then I use a layer of 1/4 minus rock to cover the cable, then I set seed flats or cutting flats on top of the rock. the temps are 70 to 75% f. just right for seed germinating and rooting cuttings, Jim