My "IncuTainers" Are Now "Cooking" at 78 Degrees (pics)

[rnewste]

After reading some of the stories posted here about early plants freezing, I decided to try to keep mine from taking a "dirt nap" if we hit a cold spell.

Enter an aquarium water heater that maintains the water at a constant 78 degrees:



The heater is fully submersible with a built-in thermostat and fits nicely into the 3" deep 'Tainer water reservoir laying down:



As I had already put my seedlings into the IncuTainers (is that a word?) a week ago, I did not want to dig them up to remove the aeration bench and then install the heater. Fortunately, I was able to just pull up the filler tube, insert the heater with a bit of manual wiggling, down under the aeration bench and into the water. I then just fed the power cord up the filler tube and set it back down into the aeration bench:



So now, the 'Tainers should stay fed with heated water at a constant 78 degrees all day, and I am expecting a faster growth rate from this addition:



At night (or when we have bad weather) I will put the cold-frame covers on and the warmth from the heated water should keep the plants cozy:



I am thinking about doing the same for a couple of "production" EarthTainers for my early varieties so they get a jump on the season. At about $14.00 per unit, not a bad investment for "happy" tomatoes!

Ray

[dokutaaguriin]

Ray,
You never cease to amaze me with your ingenuity! What a grade idea!
Jeff

[rnewste]

Thanks Jeff, but I actually discussed this with a another Forum member who suggested trying it. My "improvement" was how to install it with minimal invasive damage to the existing plants (kind of like internal surgery through your belly-button) ...and it worked!!

Ray

[amideutch]

In hydroponics they call it root zone heating where they use aquarium heaters in the nutrient tank but in Ray's case he has several. Ami

[clara]

Whoever has had this idea: It's great! Would like to try it, too.
clara

[rnewste]

Clara,

I bought a smaller 50 Watt unit to also use in this indoor seedling starting tray:



As long as there is a water reservoir for the heater to sit in, it should accelerate the growth and vigor of the seedlings (just don't let the tray run out of water).

Ray

[geeboss]

Ray,

Looking good.....Here in VA I'd need additional ambient heat for the top chamber due to the freak cold spells we are now experiencing. Last night it dropped to 9 degrees. Mother Nature is very cranky this March!!! >LOL

Have made notes for the changes next season and will string Xmas lights inside the top cold frame cover with the water heater. Thanks to Big Alan and you I'll have a better time bringing out the tomatoes in Early March.

George

[rnewste]

I just installed my third heater in one of the CornTainers I planted last week with early Northern Hybrid corn seed. My goal is to track how the "heater-ized" 'Tainer on the right produces vs. the unheated one on the left.





So here we go with another "Myth-Buster Challenge" - Tomatoville Style for an "A/B" comparison.

Ray

[01GTB]

People are amazed at the lengths I go to in order to grow better tomatoes. Your efforts make mine look like amateur hour

[amideutch]

Ray, just remember on thing. Even though your plants will like the heat so do the pathogens that are in your potting mix. So you might want to take some preventative measures as well. Ami

[rnewste]

Originally Posted by amideutch

Ray, just remember on thing. Even though your plants will like the heat so do the pathogens that are in your potting mix. So you might want to take some preventative measures as well. Ami

Ami,

With the aquarium heater down in the water reservoir keeping the water at a set 78 degrees, the potting mix on the aeration bench is likely to be at 65 to 70 degrees. What "nasties" should I be concerned about with these temperatures?

Ray

[newatthiskat]

You could possibly get an increase in algae growth in the water. Not Ami, but between all the waterbeds, fish aquariums and at one time a swimming pool it would be a pretty good bet. There are other nasties but I will leave that to Ami
Kat

[rnewste]

kat,

I guess I am missing something. What I am doing is creating the same temperature environment in March, that the 'Tainers will see (naturally) in June. All I'm doing is giving the plants a "jump-start".

I could understand if the water was kept at an elevated temperature that would cause bad stuff to develop - - but at a constant 78 degrees water temperature, why should I have a worry???

Ray

[newatthiskat]

Ray I would just immagine more algea would grow and there would be a chance for increased bacteria and fungus. I am a nurse and not an engeneer so I think more along the lines of bacteria grownth and how much they might increase in a warmed enviornment over a period of time. Actually that is even more a Carolyn answer. Your tainers are in a different enviornment with the water in the bottom. I am just looking at it from a water standpoint. I do remember that you stated you were going to pump out some of the water part way though so that would be a help to reduce any extra algea growth. I remember you posting pics and having a concern about algea in one of your posts. This might make it worse. You also posted that you were removing chlorine from your water which I would think Chlorine would actually inhibit the algea growth. But it is a very inventive way to keep plants warm and I wish I had thought of it as much as I have messed with aquariums Once had a brand new heater short out when I was starting up a brand new salt water tank. Lets just say shorted heater+salt water=fried fish and almost fried Kat
If none of this makes sense or I am just stupid ignore the comment and keep going
Kat

[rnewste]

kat,

What you say makes perfect sense.

I guess what I think I have in my favor is that unlike a "static" aquarium, in the EarthTainer the uptake of water into the 16 plants is perhaps 1 to 2 quarts per day. This constant churn and replenishment with fresh water ought to minimize conditions that permit nasties to grow in stagnant water environments.

Ray