I like to see people making due with what they can cobble together. It looks like you might have to steal your wifes reading lamp pretty soon when those peppers on the right side start sprouting.
Bruce

i use a electric propagator greenhouse from my local bunnings hardware store for those of you not in aus and it seems to work great germination times seem to take a little longer then what i read on here but all seems good

Here is a link that might be useful: bunnings

Yep ! like all of us who suffer from spring fever, i got a lil crazy. I had to put a halt on germinating things. I had no idea how much the heating mat would speed things up. I know I said I would be growing exclusively indoors this year, but if everything I have going right now sprouts,there will definitely be some going outside this year too due to space.

I have something similar, but not as nice :-)

My germination station is just a couple of cardboard boxes.

I'm using Christmas lights for bottom heat. Once they germinate, I move them to box #2 which has a couple of fluorescent bulbs, which are held up by coat hangers, thank you very much :-)

I also have a few seeds in a cup that are sitting on top of my computer tower and on top of my DVR.

Disposable brownie pans, cheap and works like a greenhouse sitting on top the DVR

Mark

I actually saved up a bit and built a somewhat decent setup, think it cost me around 60$ or so after tax and all. I intend on purchasing 5 more lights at some point (they are 10.99$ per at walmart I do believe and seem to put off really good light. )

1 - http://www.amazon.com/Gardman-R687-4-Tier-Mini-Greenhouse/dp/B000NCTGQE I found this however at a local tractor supply for 20 instead of the huge price amazon lists.

3 - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Lights-of-America-24-Fluorescent-Grow-Light-Fixture/16879945 I intend on purchasing probably 3-5 more of these. most likely 3, since I dont plan on putting anything on the bottom shelf.

I currently have it placed in a block building with a space heater running. When it's down to 20-30 degrees here I've not seen it drop below 70. So combat that I just put a heat lamp on the bottom level of the mini greenhouse, and it keeps it pretty warm now. I thoroughly enjoy it.

Eventually I'd like to have 2 lights per rung, and perhaps a heat mat for each one, but it all comes with time lol.

Anyone know if those lights do well for plants? They seem to be of a good color, but being new to really trying to get a decent setup going, I wasn't sure what type of light works best for plants.

I have a bit of a gap between my refrigerator and the cupboards above them. I have no idea how warm it gets there, but I get terrific germination rates (high 90's usually).

How do I germinate them? I use styrofoam egg containers! I put soil halfway up the little depressions, then a seed or two, followed by another bit of soil and enough water to just moisten the soil. I close it up, and squeeze it between the fridge and the cupboards. After they germinate, I use a spoon to gently take this rounded mound and place it in my 'pots' that have a nice depression in the soil to accommodate the sprouts and surrounding soil perfectly.

The only drawback is that you have to keep an eye on everything. I was a bit late in opening them up this year, and I had early sprouts happen. They are really whispy and leggy right now, but will be fine in a few days with some lights (I hope).

Speaking of lights.. I use my windowsill. My pots are all just plastic dixie cups. I STACK them up like I was playing jenga on the window sill. usually 8 across, and then about 7 high.

I accidentally knocked down this pyramid last year before planting - not a single plant broke! hehe

Maybe next year I will upgrade and get myself some LED lighting and a mini-greenhouse. However, I had much better results than I was anticipating last year.

LoL! Egg cartons and a window :) Anyone else do this?

@ab2008 wow ! Well your set up is not what I would call "bootleg" , but it is very impressive !!

@habajolokia that is one of those ingenuity/happy accident things !! I saw you recommended this a few times. I checked my entertainment center and don't seem to have that "sweet spot" between my devices like you seem to have done.Thumbs up to you for creative thinking !!

@rodnebridges: Thanks a lot for the compliment! Its the first time I've done more than just lining up cups and seed trays and hanging a heat lamp from a chain over them lol. This has been quite nice and it wasn't too expensive to get started. However I have used some aluminum trays bought from the grocery store to start some things in (onions etc.)

Onions in the image I posted. Works well so far. Think my father spread a few too many seeds though, but can thin it out if need be and such.

hahahaha, I was thinking that picture was a photo of your pepper seedlings until I read your post and see they are onions. I was asking myself, How the heck is he going to separate out all those pepper seedlings?

Lol yeah, I've got them below my peppers, but they make excellent trays to start seeds in!

Here's my set up. I have a hydro farms heat mat and thermostat underneath. I have a 72 cell seed tray on top of that. I took some pvc pipe (got the idea from a member here) and built a table with high sides. I have a wood table that I set my seedlings on, with 2 lights hanging above. I use 6500K (daylight) bulbs in my lights. I will probably add a third light this year. I think I have less than $100 in the whole thing. That's including the heat mat and thermostat.

Tim

@rodnebridges I have also used the same container and placed next to the heat vent and it worked just as well. Now that I have a two yr old running around its not possible to place next to the vent.

@ab2008 nice setup, I may look into something like that next season or two. Keep us updated on how well it works and how peppers respond to the environment.

Mark

Tim that is a nice setup if I had the space I would have to go with a setup similar to that with heat mats and such. I would run 12 lights and a boat load of peppers.

Mark

@haba right before I got serious this year and got a heat mat, I put mine in those lil' take out cups and placed them over one of my heating vents inside a small cardboard box. It's funny how we will come up with the most ingenious things when we want to get some seeds sprouted !! We all should be on the "Journey to Inhabit Mars" I'll bet we could create an agrarian society based on hot peppers lol !!

@Tim that is one fine lookin', high tech looking set up!!! The word "cyberpunk" comes to mind.
good growing all !

It works pretty good so far. Planning on getting 3 heating mats for each rung eventually, but they are pretty pricey when buying in multiples hah. Think I may need to get a little better quality lights though, but we'll see!

Can anyone recommend any 2 ft fluorescent lights? Thanks for any feedback.

I purchased some Habaneros at my local grocery and saved the seeds out of 3 or 4 of them.

These were planted 02/04/2013 and kind of shocked me at how quickly a few of them blasted to as tall as they were (literally in 1-2 days.)

I planted my ghosts and a few others tonight, so we'll see how they do!

peppernovice, I think maybe you got that light support idea from me. But I like how you went quite a bit further with the PVC pipe. Looks great.

ab2008:

I found shopping for anything NOT 48" is pricy. So, your best bet is home depot/walmart/lowe's and pick up one for 10-20 bucks and a couple T8 or T12 bulbs for another 10 bucks. 6500K "daylight"

Kevin

Awesome, thank you Kevin. I may end up picking up a couple to place above my work bench to place my plants under once my plants are too big for the mini greenhouse. 2 foots are just so blasted expensive, but thats how wide my mini greenhouse is unfortunately.

This post was edited by ab2008 on Tue, Feb 12, 13 at 20:54

Bruce.....I thought it was you, but I was afraid I may have been mistaken. Now that I see your pic, I'm positive it was you! Thanks for the great idea man.

Tim

Yah, PVC is to building stuff what duct tape is to fixing stuff.
Bruce

I love the PVC set up you guys are using. . . I think I will ask my handy dandy brother to build me one. Right now I am just using the top shelf of my bakers rack. I also have several seed trays stacked in the bathroom as we keep it heater on in there 24/7 (I hate cold tile floors. )

ab2008

this is a pretty cheap way to make a grow light

power strip and a couple of those plug in sockets with some CFLs

That looks like a good setup if you have a few closely spaced plants. I wonder if you could make a reflector with some aluminum foil to keep the light shining down.
Bruce

esox07
That looks like a good setup if you have a few closely spaced plants. I wonder if you could make a reflector with some aluminum foil to keep the light shining down.
Bruce
====================

The nice thing about this power strip grow light "cheap" setup is 1. it's cheap 2. it's expandable

As far as containing the light, I like to cover the inside of a card board box with white paper and/or foil and use some sort of shiny material for a light reflector/shield.

It's still too early for me to start peppers, I wait until March because my 90% frost-free date is May 30th.

Wanted to share my own DIY, though I haven't had a working camera in a couple of years so no pix. I made my own heat mat with a 7' incandescent rope light using materials I had on hand. The lights are anchored to a coated-wire basket from my closet. Used velcro tape to attach the rope light to the wire grid. [I love the velcro tape. It's sold in a roll for plant ties and is nearly as useful as duct tape. :) Re-useable too.] I attached the lights to the inside of the basket and turned the basket upside down. A throw pillow and fleece blanket fill in the basket and insulate the lights from below. Seed trays go on top. The rope lights are rated for outdoor use in wet weather, so my main worry was fire. The temperature stays steady though. No overheating. Soil temp measured with a meat thermometer is a cozy 80 degrees F. I currently have a four-foot shop light propped on a wire kitchen shelf over the heater, to help the seeds that need light to germinate. I started begonia seeds with it already this year and just seeded coleus and a few other decorative plants.

I finally had to haul up the wire racks and do it right. I can now handle a starter flat and three seedling flats. This is getting out of control!

They are set up alone the south wall of the breakfast room (actually half the kitchen).

And without the reflective shrouds. Fan is off to the right.

Btw, I don't grow on the deck outside these doors - too much shade when the leaves are out.