Customer Reviews

Hydrofarm CK64050 Germination Station with Heat Mat

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Although it may seem a little over priced, it is the convenience that you pay for. The product is exactly what it shows, a plastic tub with a plastic top, plastic dirt moldings, and a heating pad. If you think about the price of the heating pad that fits perfectly with the container, it is well worth the while.

In addition, I have had success with this product. I grow indoor coffee, and I have received a much quicker germination rate; as well as being healthier. Furthermore, it gives you great control of not only temperature, but humidity. In my opinion, that is a major plus.

This item is essentially a plastic base and clear top (very flimsy) with a heating pad that the base sits on. It's adequate for starting plants from seed, but my main complaint is that for what you get, it's way too expensive. I believe a fair price for this item would be around $20, NOT $40. If you do decide to purchase a germination station like this one, buy the one with the taller top - it doesn't take long before the new plants start running into the 2" tall lid.

I bought this kit because of the price was about $40 and there was no shipping charge. Now I am just using the heat mat and tray to coax fig cuttings to root. Late winter I will reinsert the planting cell tray and the clear lid to germinate other small cuttings and garden vegetables. The station and mat are standard size and weight. The mat provides good even heat and seems tough enough to last a long time.

I used two of these this last spring, and I was extremely happy. My previous year, I used another system for heat, and I had problems with overheating and heat retention.

For those who reported problems with seedlings growing too fast or falling over and dying, I would like to know the larger picture--did you address the potential problem of damping off? And did you provide a grow light at the appropriate height?

I researched several options to address damping off, since that was a huge problem for me last year. I microwaved all of my moistened starting mix, roughly 10 minutes per 2 quarts of moistened soil. If you bake this in an oven, I recommend 30 minutes at roughly 350 degrees. I also bleached and washed any pots that had been previously used. After the seedlings emerged, I sprinkled cinnamon on the surface, and I had no problems with damping off. I was particularly concerned about damping off since there was quite a bit of condensation inside the domes. However, I cleared the condensation at least twice daily, and I did not lose any seedlings out of roughly 150 starts. This was on top of 100% germination, so I gave away lots of starts this year!

I used these for squash, peppers, tomatoes, herbs, eggplants, some flowers, soybeans, shiso, chard, and cucumbers. After transplanting starts into larger pots, I continued to use the heating pad and base for the larger pots. I also had simple fluorescent grow lights that I maintained at proper heights for the plants. You should keep the lights within 2" of the plants, or the plants will be reaching too far for light and will become spindly--a particular problem for tomatoes. For these units, you really need a 4-bulb grow light or the starts on the edges will not receive sufficient light. I had to search around but found a 4-bulb, 4' shop light for a grow light, and I was thrilled with the coverage over these units. No need to buy "grow lights", just alternate cool and warm wavelength fluorescent bulbs.

Because of an unusually cold spring and early summer, I kept my peppers and eggplants inside until mid-June, and a few of them were already blooming and looking extremely healthy. The tallest were roughly 8" tall. The heating pads were wonderful for the peppers and eggplants in particular, but I know the squash also germinated much better because of the heat.

I strongly recommend not using the seed starting mix that is designed for peat pots, unless you use the peat pots in your units. If you use the peat pot starting mix, it will fall all over the place and away from the roots when you pull out your seedlings to transplant them.

Sure, you can make something similar to this with off-the-shelving parts, but I am not commenting on alternatives, just commenting on performance of this system. I highly recommend it but only if you provide appropriate grow lights and address potential damping off.

First, when the package says it comes with an insert, that means the 72-cell tray you put potting mix in, not the potting mix itself.
Second, you're supposed to take the clear plastic lid off once your plants germinate. That's why there's no room for the seedlings to grow under it. (Though the packaging does feature a tray full of robust seedlings under the lid, which may confuse people who can't be troubled to read the instructions.)

With that out of the way, this product does exactly what it promises. The heat mat warms the tray a bit, but not too much. The tray's cells are the right size for tiny seedlings, the kind that need a heat pad, and soft enough that you can pop the seedlings out without much effort.

The whole contraption fits perfectly under the Hydrofarm JSV2 2-Foot Jump Start T5 Grow Light System. If you buy a Hydrofarm TM01715D 7-Day Digital Program Timer, you can plug both the light and the heat mat into it to have the 14-hour light-warm/dark-cool cycle most seedlings enjoy. These three products together make a great indoor seed starting set-up.

For a backyard farmer or gardener who needs to start a bunch of seeds at once, this will do the job.

For years I have wanted to save money and start plants from seed.
I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong! Turns out the heat
mat is what I needed. Now I have vigorous young seedlings ready
to go outside, and I guess I saved over $200 over buying annuals
from the nursery!

My tomato and eggplant seeds germinated in under a week - days earlier than anticipated. I wish the plastic dome was taller to allow them to grow higher in the "mini greenhouse" atmosphere, but overall I think it's a good product and if you are using rock wool and all that it's probably perfect. I used "peat alternative" pellets and monitored moisture carefully - so far so good. An integrated thermostat would be nice, but for the price I am satisfied.

I won't be able to rate the perfomance of this germination set yet but I can comment on its construction: when I took it out of its box it reminded me of pulling a store-bought pie from the shelf. That's what the flimsy plastic this thing is made of reminds me. I could probably save the next few pie containers from the local Safeway grocery store and get like results for a much cheaper price. This is plastic that will not survive brutal handling and should be treated only tenderly. I could get as effective a germination tray by buying a $3 aluminum try with clear plastic cover.

However, the 9"x19.5" heating mat this thing comes with, of which a like model is sold separately by another company for much more Growers Supply Company GSHM 9-by-19-1/2-Inch Small Seedling Heat Mat is perhaps worth the price of this germination set. The tray measures 10"x 20" and the heating pad hugs the tray nicely. It distributes heat evenly. Seedlings sprout not so much from sunlight, but from warm soil and this heating mat helps maintain a soil temperature 10-20 degrees warmer than the air. This is ideal for early spring growing.

Otherwise this germination set seems to be working well. Everything arrived as described in this set in new condition. I had placed my tomato seeds one in each pocket, placed the clear flimsy hood on top, placed all that on the warmed mat and within minutes the frame began to sweat.

I will report back when my tomato seedlings have sprouted.

There is no "Made in" anywhere on the mat, the box or the plastic. All I can find is the company headquarters of Petaluma, CA.

Update 2/21/11 - The first sprouts have cut through the soil.
Update 3/30/11 - I'm learning that getting the seedlings transplanted (removed from this device) is not easy. I will use peet planters next time. Only around six survived the last five weeks. This is not a high percentage but I also know I was using seeds dated for 2008.

While I've started seeds indoors before, this was my first year with something like the germination station, and I must say so far I'm impressed. Within three days, my sunflower seeds were starting, and within 5-7 days multiple varieties of tomatoes were poking their heads out.

I had about 50% germination using this item. And that was with good quality seeds. You really have to watch closely as mold grows quickly with all that moisture.