| I see many heating coils on the market, yet have been told to start seeds in an unheated area. Which seeds need warmth to germinate? |
| Generally speaking, seeds germinate best at soil temperatures of about 70F degrees. There are exceptions, but a warm (room temperature), dark area, like on top of the refrigerator, would be a good place to germinate seeds. Heating coils are best used for germinating the seeds of warm-season vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, that prefer soil temperatures of 80F - 85F degrees. Eggplant seeds like the soil temperature to be 90F degrees. Most flower seeds will tolerate soil temperatures of65F to 75F degrees (about room temperature, so no additional heat is required). So, unless you're starting heat loving seeds, or live in an exceptionally cold house, you probably don't need heating coils. |
