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South Dakota

Newbie here, second year coming up. Just got done installing my heat cables. When do you all usually turn them on, and how long does it usually take to warm up the soil with heat cables? I know I have to get soil warmed up before transplanting, but would it do the soil microbiology good to heat up the soil a couple weeks early? I put 60 ft of cable in 4x4 ft area. Cables are 210 watts total. Soil was protected through the winter with hay bales and frost never set in under them. I found lots of nice big nightcrawlers when I excavated to install the cables. I have the area covered by a 6x8 ft cloche and some days its already over 100 degrees inside. I live in South Dakota at about 43 degrees latitude. Most people wait until May to put out their plant, I want to push an April 20 transplant this year. I'm hoping with the cables and the cloche this will be successful. How early do most people turn on their heating cables?
Check out my grower diary. http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryView.asp?season=2019&grower=80347&action=L

3/28/2019 7:47:08 AM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

I turn mine on usually two weeks before planting. And that would be around mid April for my early plants. And the hoop house would be over that. I also add a heat lamp with thermostat inside the hoops.

3/28/2019 9:16:17 AM

Buffalo, MN (Billsbigpumpkins@hotmail.com)

I would be installing mine but the ground here is still frozen and the snow just left the patch yesterday. I need to do soil prep first. There is plenty of time if the weather cooperates. I usually plant one early for the St Fair and the rest one to weeks later.

3/28/2019 9:25:49 AM

JACKSON, WISCONSIN. ; )

As soon as they are in the ground... the soil is a giant heat sink... get it cranked up and working

3/28/2019 10:06:23 AM

South Dakota

BCG, that is my thinking too. Getting all that soil from a 4x4 ft area to 70 degrees would have to help keep the cloche warm overnight. I was figuring on having to use supplemental heat the first couple weeks. I was planning on using an electric heater with thermostat.

3/28/2019 7:08:27 PM