Bottom heating seedlings and starting seeds indoors

Here's a way to speed up the process of starting seeds indoors, without having to heat the entire house (or even a room) to expensive temperatures!

I figured this out while in my garden room this evening.  I live alone, so 3rd bedroom is my garden prep center.

There is a metal folding table in front of my window in the garden room.   Mostly is takes up by geraniums wintering indoors.  

After hearing at the Master Gardener meeting about heating a room to 75f+ to promote seed germination I almost quit the entire concept...   Paying PPL, oil company, or coal supplier for extra heat is counter eco, and anti-pocketbook...   

So I rolled the modern oilfilled electric 1500 watt 'looks like a radiator' heater out of the bathroom and into the plant room... and under the aluminimum portable (folds like suitcase)  table and set it on low.

Took a couple sheets and created a 'table drape' to keep the warmed air under the table, and then pondered how to keep the heat under the seed flats and not just excaping to the room.

The aluminum table top (and I'm sure it will work with other tables, particularly metal) warmed quickly.    I moved the pots around and then covered the tabletop with strips of newspapers and wood shavings ( I had a bale left from a horse show).   Thus, the plant trays were in contact with the warm metal surface, and the open areas were somewhat insulated!!!

The heater is in it's own little enclosure, so not running full time and trying to heat the entire room, and the plants are enjoying warm feet and (may as well mist the wood shabings) a humid environment!

Leave comments if you come up with something related.