Food-Gardening Lessons From A Wartime Victory Garden

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What Seeds Need Heat Mats For Germination?

“In seed starting, which plant benefits the most by having a grow mat under it?” Question from Tim of Burton, Ohio

Answer: Some seeds need supplemental heat for germination, and these are almost always seeds for warm-season crops that naturally sprout when the outdoor temperatures heat up. Summer flowers, like cleome, cosmos, coreopsis, gomphrena, marigolds, salvias, and sunflowers, sprout better and grow faster with added heat. When it comes to herbs and vegetables, think of anything that thrives during the warmest times of the season–basil, corn, eggplant, okra, peppers, rosemary, and tomatoes all germinate and grow best with bottom heat.

Click here for a related article: BOTTOM HEAT FOR HAPPY HEIRLOOM SEED STARTING

Happy gardening,

Jessie Keith

Black Gold Horticulturist

About JESSIE KEITH

Plants are the lens Jessie views the world through because they’re all-sustaining. (“They feed, clothe, house and heal us. They produce the air we breathe and even make us smell pretty.”) She’s a garden writer and photographer with degrees in both horticulture and plant biology from Purdue and Michigan State Universities. Her degrees were bolstered by internships at Longwood Gardens and the American Horticultural Society. She has since worked for many horticultural institutions and companies and now manages communications for Sun Gro Horticulture, the parent company of Black Gold. Her joy is sharing all things green and lovely with her two daughters.

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