Greenhouse growing

It's time to start veggie seeds in our area so they will be ready to plant in April. With my greenhouse I'm able to get a good jump on the season. When we first built the greenhouse I researched so many ideas of how to heat it on a budget in order to start seedlings. I found a solution that work so very well last year! Rather than purchase expensive heat pads I found that electric blankets work perfectly! Yes, used twin size electric blankets!

Two twin size blankets fit the length of one of my benches and provide the perfect amount of heat to the soil for seed starting. Now, the only thing that you have to remember on cold nights (and some cloudy days) is that most electric blankets now have an automatic cutoff and don't stay on indefinately. I usually have to go out right before going to bed and switch the blanket off and back on in order for it to stay on all night. Of course, I haven't gotten into the habit of that this season yet!

Now, once I have seedlings coming up, if it's going to be a very cold night, i.e. frost weather, I will also bring the other half of each blanket up and cover the plants for the night. The id markers I have sticking in my flats keeps the blankets from damaging the plants but the little plants stay nice and warm through the night.

So, there's my budget secret to starting plants in an unheated greenhouse! Oh, and I'm sure you wonder how I water the flats? On mornings I need to water I move all the flats to the other bench (with out the blankets) and water. They drain during the day, the bottoms dry and then go back on their blankets that night. Yes, it's a lot of work but definately worth it! Happy growing!