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Tasmania Australia

Hi, This coming season i am planing to change over to the heavy duty soil heating cables.
These one here:
https://wrap-on.com/store/product/gro-quick-heavy-duty-soil-warming-cables/
Last season i used the light duty versions
https://wrap-on.com/store/product/gro-quick-electric-soil-warming-cables/
They pretty much didn't do a thing in the soil, at least not that i could tell.

What i am trying find out is, with those that do use these heavy duty cables, how deep do you typically have these cables?
And how far apart do you usually have them?
I am not sure on the length yet to go for, either 40 ft or 60 ft, was thinking 40 ft

Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.
Peter.

3/16/2018 5:34:08 AM

Bethlehem CT

Bluesilver I usually set mine about 6" deep and maybe 6-8" apart in the ground. In my opinion about length, I think the bigger the better. If you need to use an extension cord make sure it is of a thicker gauge than the average cord. That way you will make sure the heating cable is getting all the electricity it needs to heat properly.

3/16/2018 7:44:10 AM

President - GPC

If you plan on trying to cover a 6' x 6' spot, the 60' would cover better, 40' is a bit short in IMHO

3/16/2018 11:05:35 AM

Eganville, Ontario

Heat rises, go deep. I go as deep as I can.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=255069

3/16/2018 4:53:13 PM

Tasmania Australia

Thanks for the replies, appreciated.
It would be good to get an average on how deep most go, i see that big moon mentioned 6 inches deep and RyanH goes 15 inches.
Is a 6' x 6' about the average size area you would typically use?
Haven't looked at a thermometer yet, was basically just trying work out the cable part first

3/16/2018 5:48:53 PM

Canada

Our spring is cold here so I put my cables down 12" Like Ryan mentioned Heat rises and roots go deep.

3/17/2018 7:55:34 PM

Syracuse, NY

i hate to think of hundreds of pumpkin growers all toiling over putting soil-heating cables in every year times however many plants and having to struggle to get the spacing just-right, the depth just-right, the temperature, etc., so even though i do not use this tactic myself, i think some enterprising grower with a shop full of equipment, or not, and some woodworking know-how, or not, lol, should do this: get your...OOPS! i was intrigued by Ryan Hoelke's coil-pit,
and i was gonna come up with all kinds of ideas for how to make a FORM onto which a heating cable could be rolled into a spiral and then expanded to the right size, like a 4'-to-6' spiral, and then have ONE side ('RIGHT or 'LEFT')of the spiral DELICATELY* attached to a biodegradeable (and even as simple as a 1/2" x 1" x 2' to 4'-long stick or board, only spacing-apart the ones on ONE END of the spiral, (the others will spread out) creating the hole to PLACE the heating coil into, placing the cable-ends appropriately and re-burying everything. THINK OF using an empty cable or wire roll/spool like are used at Home Depot or by the utility company but VERY skinny like a spool of Velcro to start with;
SO, create a spiral, detach halves of spool, spread-out/space-out spiral on large-enough table or surface (will have to spin spiral outward from center to relax it and cause expansion of spiral) attach each rotation of ONE SIDE of the spiral to something tangible and manageable, place into planting hole, connect, grow WR, pull-up heating cable from * 'frame' and go in and have dinner. Visually, imagine a spiral with a very thick line drawn from the center to the edge - if you attach the 'tangible frame' and have that toward the soil surface, you could then snip whatever you used to attach the coil TO the frame, remove all that and then, it would REALLY be easy to recover in the fall. just an idea, hope it helps y'all---eg

3/17/2018 9:07:08 PM

Tasmania Australia

Ok, so i guess if i try to summuries what we have got here so far, and please correct me if i am a bit out here.
Area for cables to go in will be close to 6' x 6'
And for that area, a cable length of 60' would be better than 40'
A good depth would be somewhere from say 8 - 14 inches?
Spacing of the cable i am not sure about, but is 6 inches apart a good number?
And i am guessing you would set a thermostat to 70 f ?

3/17/2018 9:47:16 PM

Wisconsin

Propane water heater, taco pump, mixing valve and pex tubing?

3/18/2018 7:02:44 AM

Here are some links to pictures and discussions that might help. Spacing seems to be about 6-8+. Hope this helps.


http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=586997
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=196237
http://bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=20&p=495001
http://bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=294664
http://bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=3&p=289965
http://bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=270461

3/18/2018 7:37:01 AM

Central Illinois

zip tie the cable to some concrete reinforcement wire or good livestock fence, install it cable down so the wire protects the cable from shovels.
You will have to remove about 1/2 of soil in the fall then you can pull it out, with some effort.

3/18/2018 9:19:25 AM

Tasmania Australia

Thanks again for the replies, looks like a few there are using the light duty thin cables, i am thinking the heavy duty ones are going to be a better option, just don't think the light duty ones worked too well for me a few season ago
I will work on the 6 inch spacing and see how long a cable i will go for, either 40' or 60'
Do you place the thermostat probe in between the cables or cover the cables a few inches then place the thermostat there?
Just trying to get it set up correctly this time round.

3/18/2018 5:57:00 PM

Central Illinois

The thermostat should be built in line with the cable, you want the thermostat to be inside the coils somewhere,not on the outside edge.

3/19/2018 9:31:23 AM

Stanwood, Washington

I just put mine in over the weekend. I went about 6-8" deep and about the same for spacing. The soil started off at about47 degrees on Saturday afternoon. It was up to 65 by Sunday evening and was back down to around 62 MOnday Morning after a cold night in the mid 30's.

3/19/2018 11:40:27 AM

Tasmania Australia

Thanks again for the replies, appreciated.
I see what you mean by the thermostat should be built in line with the cable, the light duty ones do come with them built in,
https://wrap-on.com/product/gro-quick-soil-electric-warming-cable/
But these heavy duty ones now no longer come with built in thermostats, at least the ones i have found so far don't
https://wrap-on.com/product/gro-quick-heavy-duty-soil-warming-cables/
I was planning to use a thermostat that the heavy duty cable plugs into and set it to maybe 74 f, dose this sound right?

3/19/2018 5:31:12 PM