Heat Mats For Mature Plants?

[ClassV]

This may be a foolish question, but has anybody used seedling heat mats to keep the root zone warm on flowering plants during light out? The ambient temperature in my tent during lights out is mid to upper 60s F, but the runoff after feeding them drops to low the Low 60s, sometimes into the high 50s F.

 

[shemshemet]

That sounds like a pretty cool idea. Not sure much on root zone temperature interactions, so as much as it may be beneficial, I really am not sure if it may do anything negative.

I know greenhouse growers strive for an equal DIF...which is the difference between night / day temps.

 

[fishwhistle]

Go to home depot in the insulation section and you will find Foam insulating boards about 2.5-3 '' thick(4'x4' and 4'x8'),cut it to the size of bottom of tent with a hacksaw blade and face foil side down,this will insulate your root zone from the cold floor.

 

[rascali]

bad idea, plants like and need their cool roots, in fact those temps of yours are just about perfect! folks need to stop trying to re-invent the wheel...

 

[RG420]

Dude just stick an oil rad in there with a little 6" oscillating fan on the floor next to it blowing the heat all around root zone, also no harm in warming your water up a touch before feeding just make sure your airriating the res with a bubbler.

 

[RG420]

10 degrees diff between lights on and lights off ideal dudec

 

[ClassV]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. The tent is already elevated on a pallet, and with some jury-rigged mods I can raise the ambient temp outside the tent bump the temp inside. But I got to thinking about those heat mats for seedlings and rooting cuts. The optimum root zone temp is about 68 degrees? If the surface temp of the "floor" is a constant 80, and that floor temp is good enough for sprouts and cuts... it would be a cheap out for sure. I am speaking of the roots, not the foliage.

 

[Smokey503ski]

Also don't water right before the lights go out.
Plants really don't like wet feet when they go to sleep.
I like watering right when the light comes on.
If multi feed daily I have my final feeding 4 hours before lights out.