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Ely Mn

i have had my soil cables on the last three days with a little hoop house over the soil where the cables are.when i checked the soil temp today it was 82 degrees 6 inches down. is this too hot?im thinking i might have to move my t stat closer to the center.i put the t stat one cable in from the outside of the cable pattern.any thoughts?

4/24/2012 9:33:17 PM

Hinckley MN

Mid April in Ely and the soil isnt frozen? That's a good thing.

4/24/2012 10:06:31 PM

Baker City Oregon

I put my soil cable in and then put up my cloche. For two days the soil thermometer said 90 dgs. Way too hot. Told myself to unplug cable. When I went to unplug I found out that I never plugged it in. Go figure. Since that day, a couple of days ago, the temperature has gone down a bit. I've been leaving the cloche open at night. We have had a number of warm days here lately but that is soon to change. About four days ago I went out to open it up between 9 and 10 a.m. and the air temperature was 125 dgs.. No pumpkin plant in there yet...just in case you were wondering.

4/24/2012 10:44:30 PM

Lloydminster/AB

Your right about thermostat placement. Sometimes it takes a week or so to warm the soil out to the thermostat if it's on the edge of the run, especially if the weather isn't cooperating. Mine have always stabilized after a week. I've planted when soil temp is 80+. All that happened was that it grew very fast ! Still it might be even warmer right beside the cable..

4/24/2012 11:06:06 PM

Rhode Island

the soil heating cables ron and i have used for years have a thermostat and shut down once the temp reaches 72 degrees.
they control and maintain the soil at 72 degrees minimum.

if the suns out then naturally being under a mini greenhouse the soil heat around the cables will go up but, not because of the heating cables----they shut down at 72 degrees.
pap

4/25/2012 7:59:18 AM

Ely Mn

Thanks alot guys.that helps alot.i think it was just sunny out and everything was closed up thats y it was so warm.

4/25/2012 8:25:30 AM

Central Minnesota

Master P, I have had my soil cables on for three days now and each day the temp is sitting around 80 with the sun and the heat from the cold frame. Outside the cold frame the temp is 60. You are just getting additional heat from the sun which is great because then the heating cables don't have to run as much.

4/25/2012 9:05:06 AM

Stanwood, Washington

Temp inside my cloche with the cables on is at about 80 in the late after noon and at about 70 in the morning. Surrounding soil is at 48 degrees. I also have the cables with the built in thermostat set to 72 degrees.

4/25/2012 7:16:48 PM

Topsfield,ma.

If the thermostat is below the cable it does not sense the temp as heat rises, and your temp will run high.It should be level with or slightly above the cable.

4/25/2012 7:36:19 PM

Ely Mn

Thanks everyone.it was cloudy today and I checked the temp and its at around 74 so I feel better about it now.

4/25/2012 9:03:20 PM