I have two options.

1) Buy a radiant heat space heater. The oil filled ones. We use those in our cold bedrooms over night and they are super safe. The shut off if tipped over and they have a thermometer. I use one for my seed room.

2) Get rid of the cat?

Just some other suggestions, not wanting to pick a fight. We have 4 outside cats.

The space heater might be worth a go. I'll check into them, and thanks for the heads up. Are these independent of electricity? I wouldn't mind combining something I could use for the seeds with something that would be on hand for power outages.

Getting rid of the cat is not an option. LOL. I love her to death. And not only are cats illegal outside here, she has a disability and couldn't survive anyway. I'd give up the seeds before the cat.

The oil filled heaters are good. We have used them for years with no problems. The only problem we have is they are 1500 watts and pluging any other high wattage item like the blow dryer or sweeper into the same circut will blow the fuse. A 15 amp fuse will not run two high amp devices.

But your problem is probably the temp of the dirt. Use heat pads to keep the soil warm and you plants should grow better. Air temperature above 60 degrees should be fine.

You may also check what kind of light bulbs your friend uses. That could also be a factor. Better lights equals better growth. Even old flourescent bulbs do not put out as much light as new ones.

It is always interesting and informative reading about gardener's creativity. I hope you keep this thread updated with your decisions and progress.

There are 2 thoughts that came to mind when I read your situation. Some people say they have had sucess using strings of Christmas lights around the seedlings, not for light but for heat. If you could enclose a small area in the basement it may work for both keeping the heat in and the cat out, but use Flourescent 4' lights for 14 - 16 hours a day and a small fan for 10 - 15 minutes a day for stocky growth.
The other option might be inconvenient, but here goes, I use the bathroom for plants that like heat, I shut the door and leave a pan of water in there, it is always 10 - 15F warmer than the rest of the house and more humid also.

Good Luck and let us know how things work.

( P.S. you also need supplemental light in the bathroom setup also. )

Nam

I think I'd be inclined to put a tent over the table downstairs, add a small heat source like a regular light bulb. The poly tent would keep the heat in the area with the plants. Who am I kidding, I'd get rid of the cat.

Sadly, I think someone *did* get rid of the cat by dumping her in the country. She's deaf, and when she was found, was near starvation and full of mites. She's definitely a handful, and I've come to believe she was dumped because of the way she freaks out when she wakes up and can't find me or the other cat. Like she's been tossed again. :(

Nobody wanted her because she is deaf. I happened to be at a Pet Smart buying food and took her home. I heard a number of people say oh we can't have her because she's HANDICAPPED. She's a little darling. My other cat doesn't even know she's deaf. He calls for her to come play.

Just a service announcement: if you have a pet you want to toss in the garbage, please take it to a shelter, preferably a no-kill shelter. Having grown up in the country, we were the recipients of so many dumped dogs and cats. In my grandparents' generation, it generally ended with a bullet because a farm can only support so many dogs and cats. In mine, I tried finding homes, adopting, etc.

I'm not accusing anyone here of such a thing, just that a lot of city people don't understand that country people aren't just sitting around waiting to take care of the unwanted pets.

Sorry, it's just a thing with me, and my heart breaks when I think of this little miss being dumped. She's a pistol, but so loving. And being deaf, she wouldn't have lived very long.

Don't take this as a personal shot to you; I'm really sensitive to animals. And yet, I eat meat. Go figure.

julianna_il, I can't believe you found her after being dumped in January! That she survived the ordeal at all is a true miracle. I agree with everything you said! We had a deaf ferret and he truly had the best personality of all the ones we've had.

About dumping animals in the country: The red squirrel, for all practical purposes, has run out the native squirrels in the foothills of the Rockies because of supposed kind people dumpling them on someone else. It's such a shame that those cute little grey squirrels with their little tufted ears are no more!

I have mine under lights in my basement. I have a 5 foot shelf and it is covered with plastic. My basement stays cold so what I have done is purchased two vaporizers (not humidifiers). I have them placed on timers on two different shelves. Each morning and night I alternate which one I run. It keeps a constant warm temperature plus I don't have to worry about the humidity of my plants. Maybe not perfect for everyone but works great for me. I've done this for two years and I have those large healthy plants to put in my garden.

Good luck!

Joy, could you clarify for me on the vaporizers? Would these be the cool mist kind? If so, how do those keep them warm?

I'm interested in this setup...sounds like a great idea!!