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2009 pepper season on the cheap

caroltlw

caroltlw

Hi, thought I'd post some pics of my setup. It's a bit ... different ... from most everyone else's. I try to do as much as I can for $0 and add a few more costly items when I think I can't live without them.

First, I use old egg cartons on top of the furnace to sprout seeds. I'm using soil/leaf compost mix for starting and a dollar store food thermometer to keep an eye on temps. Soon I'll have a remote thermometer with an alarm.
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Next the seedlings go into a 9oz plastic cup with 4 holes punched around the edge and into one of 2 small light boxes with a CFL and an inverter. Those are plastic cupcakes tray to hold and bottom water the cups.
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After they grow a little or I have more new seedlings, they go into a 12v LED box with 2 225 red/blue units.
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Everything goes outside during the day unless it's too cold. Sometimes they have to stay in the box or go into the greenhouse. That's where I keep my over-wintering plants on a (borrowed) cart.
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For those sub-freezing nights (like last night) I have another "greenhouse" for the older seedlings in 4" containers. It's made out of and inverted card table, old shower curtains and frost blanket, "hot/cold" bags, a dryer vent hooked to the propane furnace exhaust, and a shelf made out of n old window frame and fridge shelves.
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Here's where I'm preparing the garden bed for March/April planting. It's terraced with logs because it's a bit of a sink hole. Filled in with leaf compost and now goat ... droppings (not pictured).
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they look awesome..you are giving me some ideas carolt...

where did you get the red/blue led lights from ? and how much did that cost you ?
 
Here, I've got a crude bottom watering system that I'll modify soon. I use an old water jug with lava rocks and wood charcoal to filter our used dish water.
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And the old egg shells are getting saved for planting time. The ants clean them for me.
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Here's a group photo as of yesterday. And a closeup of some wax, jals, and superchiles.
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They're getting big and old. The wax were seeded 12/4/08 and some are getting buds. The older plants in the back are stunted and I've been pinching center buds. I wouldn't have started them so soon but I have limited space in the trailer.

Oh yeah, and the "big" greenhouse was a steal at $14 on clearance from Tractor Supply last year. It is tearing around the door zipper, but I can't complain too much. I have to get up in the middle of the night to add coals from the fire pit to a small WalMart grill to keep it toasty on cold nights. Remote thermometer should be here soon and life will be a little less complicated.
 
I swear by egg cartons.

I think some are afraid of transplant shock, but I transplant them as soon as they sprout and have had no ill effects.

I need some more plastic cups.....and a greenhouse lol.

Nice set-up!
 
Hotpeppa said:
where did you get the red/blue led lights from ? and how much did that cost you ?
Click to expand...

Those were an eBay purchase and my most expensive investments. There was only one seller that had the 12v when I bought them and I managed to get them without any other bidders... for ~$25ea plus shipping. I also have a more expensive AC unit I'll be needing to hook up soon on another inverter. More peppers sprouting, dontcha know. ;)
 
cheezydemon said:
I swear by egg cartons.
I think some are afraid of transplant shock, but I transplant them as soon as they sprout and have had no ill effects.
Click to expand...

I was going to bid on some 128 flats but you guys must have had an eBay war to get all the ones I've seen pics of here. :rolleyes: A dozen or 2 at a time is good for me anyway. You can push the egg cartons up from the bottom if the soil is just right, or dig them out with a spoon. I get them as soon as they break the seed pod so the root isn't very long.

A paper-hole punch works good on the bottom edge of the plastic cups. May have to remove the "safety" paper guide thingee first though. I wish they came in more colors than red and blue. I stopped using clear for fear the roots don't like the extra light.
 
the plants are looking great!
as for being cheap, heck I'm not using any lights like most of you, relying on sunlight from the windows :( though I painted the shelves white to help reflect as much of the light back towards the plants. every south facing window will have plants by them.
 
chilehunter said:
the plants are looking great!
as for being cheap, heck I'm not using any lights like most of you, relying on sunlight from the windows :( though I painted the shelves white to help reflect as much of the light back towards the plants. every south facing window will have plants by them.
Click to expand...


how are they doing with only window light ?
 
Hotpeppa said:
how are they doing with only window light ?
Click to expand...


they're doing alright under the circumstances, some already have 4-6 leaves growing.
yes a little leggy, though not a big deal to me cuz I'll just repot them farther down & I use stakes once outside if they need it.
sprouting was kinda slow going since temps were not ideal either, though I have many 7 pots/T.scorp./jam.hot choco./fatallii/peach hab./thai's/pasilla growing.
I plan on replanting some new seeds in a couple days (been almost 1 month) for the ones that didnt sprout.
 
Your pepper plant and the make shift greenhouses and the boxes and foil look great! Just goes to show if there is a will there is a way. Nothing can sustitute for the sun when growing peppers that well. Very nice job with your future garden plants.
 
I started with window light last year. Then I added a light bulb to make the day longer. Then I boxed in the shelf and added tinfoil, and now ... I keep adding stuff a little at a time.
c.
 
Great pics Carol, glad you came over here too. You prove my thinking...all the bells and whistles might be nice but pepper seeds just want to grow if they get a chance. Looking good!
 
Here's my latest $0 project.
I like the egg cartons for my potential "keeper" plants, but now that it's getting closer to plant-out time I'm going to try some group planting. These plants will be for the neighbors who want some seedlings (so they won't want to pick all my peppers later!) and maybe I'll take some to the flea market when the time is right.
First I saved a couple of "chicken trays" from the deli. I sowed some catnip in the first one and it came up in a few days so I started some bells in another tray. Still waiting on them to come up.
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Yesterday I sowed a danish pastry tray. This is a bit flimsy and doesn't have a nice tall dome, but it has the advantage of being able to see how wet the soil is because it's clear. I didn't want to poke drainage holes in this because of where I'll have to put it at night.
I use a plastic measuring cup with a piece of pencil eraser superglued to the bottom to make indentations for the seeds in the pre-moistened soil.
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Then cover the surface with some dirt through the sifter, spray down the surface with water, and cover.
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c.
 
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