Heating up the soil
Hi I’m Jimmy from Tilden Lake. Despite the fact we live in the middle of a forest on a big rock, my two young lads and I enjoy growing giant pumpkins. After last years harsh winter, we had a difficult time getting our soil temp up. So this year I buried gutter heating cable before the snow came. My questions are, when should I start heating? How long can I leave the cables on? (Would a timer be helpful, don’t want to burn out cable)
thanks in advance, just joined Gvgo at the Bracebridge Fair this past fall. My boys and I placed 5th and 7th for giant pumpkins in our first two fairs.
Jimmy Golden
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I use 60 ft gutter cables in a 4 x6 ft zig zag patern about 6 " deep 6 to 8 inches apart. I turn them on 2 days before planting. I put them in the ground in the spring after tilling. The soil goes from 55 degrees F to 70 in 24 hrs I leave them plugged in until the soil outside the cable heats up to at least 65 degrees . get a soil themometer and do some testing in the sping.
good luck