You are likely bombarded by gardening magazines and catalogs that tell you oh, if you are going to start from seed, you need alllllll of these supplies, and the price tag alone is enough to put you into shock!
Peppers and tomatoes are among all of them, the worst culprits by far. If you have done your research, you know that tomatoes need an average germination temp of 75-90 degrees, preferably from bottom heat (best results are achieved by bottom heat IMO) The catalogs tell you to buy seed start heating mats. Well, if you’ve ever priced any of these out, they can run a pretty penny! They usually average $30+ for one of a decent size. Now before you stroke out at the price tag, there is a much easier solution!
I personally use heating pads. Yes, the ones made for people! They work just as well, and come in every shape and size imaginable, and they are often 1/2 price or less! However, if this is the way you want to try, make sure you do your tests first! Rule #1 above all, NEVER leave them on when you are not at home where you can check on them once in a while. I can’t stress that enough; I never leave ANYTHING that produces heat on when I leave the house, it is not worth the risk!
Second of all, always do a test a test run. Get your seedling tray, fill the cells with your choice of soil, but do not plant the seeds just yet. Put it on top of the heating pad, and before putting a dome lid on, put a small thermometer (or even two if you want to be extra careful and want to average out the difference). Let it run for an hour or so, and check the temp. This will allow you to know what kind of temp you are going to be looking at, so you can adjust accordingly without damaging your seeds.
I find that about 85 degrees does wonders for tomatoes and peppers. My tomato seeds all sprout between 3 and 5 days, and the peppers take about 5 to 8 days. A much faster time frame then most seed packets tell you!
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