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  • Need To Increase Soil Temperature

    Created by Mr. Coconut Palm on January 26, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    Hi Everyone,

    I need to increase my soil temperature by 3F or 4F. I live in Flour Bluff in Corpus Christi, Texas (a normally low end Zone 10A Climate) and have very sandy soil about 90-98% sand. My normal soil temp is about 57F to 57.5F in January, but I need to get it to around 60F or slightly higher. I am growing coconut palms in the ground in my yard, and I don’t want to lose them, since for the most part they need a minimum winter time soil temp of 60F or higher. Is there anything natural and organic I can do to increase my soil temperature, especially in the winter time.

    Thanks,
    John

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  • January 27, 2016 at 12:36 pm #186757

    Eric Vinje
    Keymaster

    Hey John!

    Something you could do to guarantee an increase in soil temperature could involve the introduction of soil heating cables. We offer this 48 ft cable that will heat about 12 sq ft of space. https://www.planetnatural.com/product/soil-heating-cable/

    You could also introduce moisture to the soil and cover it with clear plastic mulch. Sunlight hitting the dark soil will increase relative humidity and overall soil temperature. This method may be a bit more unpredictable, and has the potential to harm the roots due to extremely high soil temperatures in the first 6in of soil.

    Happy Planting!

    January 27, 2016 at 1:06 pm #186759

    Mr. Coconut Palm
    Member

    Thanks, but I am trying to do this all naturally since I have an all organic yard. I have heard for years that compost and increased biological activity in the soil increases soil temperature, so I guess I can just apply about an inch of compost around my Coconut Palms a couple of times throughout the winter.

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