Heated bench material?

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Cactus Kid
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Heated bench material?

Post by Cactus Kid »

I have been given this heated bench. It is about 4 inches deep and has a probe approx 2 inches below the surface (can be just seen on the right of pic.)

It looks like it was originally filled with sand (Lime free I hope!) Would this be the best material to use or is there anything better to hold and distribute the heat.

Thanks for any suggestions. (tu)
Bench.JPG
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DaveW
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by DaveW »

Never used one, but it seems sand is the best material and it must be kept damp to transmit the heat since dry sand acts more like an insulating blanket over the cables, as would peat or similar materials if kept dry or allowed to dry out. Unless your plants are growing in the sand I doubt it would matter if it was lime free or not since it is only a base to stand your pots or trays on.

See "More Info" in this link:-

https://www.harrodhorticultural.com/soi ... d7984.html

Also:-

http://www.jungleseeds.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d106.html

Other quotes from the Web:-

"The cable should be laid onto 5cm of sharp sand (horticultural) and then covered with a further 5cm of sand. When installing the cable, you should keep it running 7.5cm – 10cm apart, for the most effective results."

"Our master gardener stated that one inch of sand would be considered too shallow for use and suggested placing the Soil Heating Cable under 2-3 inches of sand or your chosen growing medium."

"The cable is placed onto 5cm of sand and covered with an extra 5cm layer of sand. Cable is laid in line, 7.5 - 10cm apart. If the greenhouse’s temperature is 7 degrees, this exercise will help you increase the soil temperature by 11 – 13 degrees C, Higher temperatures can be achieved by laying the cable runs closer to each other. You will need a thermostat placed to monitor the soil temperature. Thanks to this, you will be able to meet the different requirements of various types of seeds as the temperature is accurately controlled saving running costs in warmer weather."
Cactus Kid
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by Cactus Kid »

Thanks Dave, that's a big help (tu)
Joined Havering branch 2006, although have been growing on and off since the age of ten!
Have a large balanced collection of both cacti and succulents but enjoy growing cristate, monstrose and generally anything a bit weird!
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Jim_Mercer
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by Jim_Mercer »

Looks like there is too much cable for the area of the box, it should be laid with a gap between the runs of cable and never touch there are some instructions on this site https://www.quickcrop.co.uk/blog/how-to ... ing-cable/
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DaveW
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by DaveW »

I should have added the caution from another site. If you are putting it on the greenhouse benching make sure the bench is strong enough to carry the weight, since 4 inches of sand in a fair sized box probably weighs a hundredweight or more when damp, even before you put pots or trays on top of it.

You may also need to spray the sand or medium the cable is in occasionally to keep it damp so the heat is transmitted to the surface and plants since if it dries out it will act more as an insulator over the cable and less heat will reach the surface. Also with a probe type thermostat if it is in the sand as the cable warms up quicker in dry sand since the heat is not conducted away as quick as in damp sand it will switch the cable off even quicker, so even less heat would reach the surface.
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Cactus Kid
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by Cactus Kid »

Thanks Jim and Dave, a lot more involved than I though :eek: I will look through the links and make the necessary adjustments.
Joined Havering branch 2006, although have been growing on and off since the age of ten!
Have a large balanced collection of both cacti and succulents but enjoy growing cristate, monstrose and generally anything a bit weird!
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Tina
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by Tina »

Just tape the cables down, I use silver sand that wickes etc sell for sweeping into block paving.
Soil warming cables are really good for seed raising or overwintering special plants on.
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ralphrmartin
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by ralphrmartin »

Get yourself a clear lid of some sort, and you'll have an excellent seed-raising propagator.
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by Terry S. »

In the past, I have used a layer of Hortag over soil-warming cables. It has the advantage of being light and the heat can just spread upwards through the interstices.
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Tina
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Re: Heated bench material?

Post by Tina »

Use the baggy method, then you don't need to check and water very often.
Tina

varied collection of succulents and cacti but I especially like Euphorbia's, Ariocarpus and variegated agaves.

Bucks, UK
Branch co-ordinator, Northants & MK BCSS https://northants.bcss.org.uk
BCSS Talk team member, contact me- BCSS.Talk@Gmail.com if you want to volunteer or suggest a speaker plz.
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