Question about starting seeds indoors in a cold climate

Mark Torres · 2026-04-12T09:30:05.45242+00:00

I tried using a cheap plastic dome tray from the hardware store versus a proper heat mat setup for my tomatoes in Minneapolis. The seeds with the heat mat sprouted in 5 days, but the ones in the cold tray took over 3 weeks and half never came up. Is the extra cost for a controlled heat source really worth it for northern gardeners?

joel_hall176mo ago

It's like any tool, you don't need it until you really do, and then it saves the whole project.

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ellis.susan6mo ago

Honestly, I get the opposite results! My windowsill in Saint Paul gets great sun and I just use those cheap trays with the clear lid. My tomatoes always pop up fine, maybe just a few days slower. I save the heat mat money for more seeds or good soil instead. It feels like one more gadget to store, and I've never had a total failure without one.

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ray_miller846mo ago

Oh man, that's the story of my life up here (I'm in Duluth). Trying to start seeds on a cold windowsill is just asking for heartbreak. I've lost whole trays of peppers to the chill, just sitting there doing nothing for a month. That heat mat feels like a splurge at first, but watching seeds actually sprout when they're supposed to? Worth every penny for the morale boost alone.

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