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El Cheapo-Budget Smackdown!

Aji Chombo

Aji Chombo

Allrighty, then! :onfire:

First time doing this, so people feel free to throw as many suggestions as possible.

Following the thread on growing pods on a budget, and based on my own experiences of using used pop-bottles as greenhouses, I was thinking of doing a:

Best and Cheapest plants/garden from start to first harvest Smackdown! :)

How many of us can grow a good sized, good harvesting chilli/chile garden with minimal resources is what we're looking for.

Obviously budget is important (however can keep costs to a minimum is on the right track), but the quality of the first harvest will also be of equal importance.

Suggestions on garden size, end date (I suggest Halloween as the cut-off date), categories, restrictions, etc. are all welcome (since I haven't got a clue for a few things)! :)
 
Gifts must be included in the budget to the full retail price. No fair if someone gets a hydro setup from the spouse:) If you find one in the dumpster you are just lucky and will probably win:)

All prices should include taxes (but not shipping) and be converted to Euro.

Cost for electricity not included because the prices vary to much througout the world.

How to do with stuff you already have, like pots? A pot lasts 5, maybe 10 seasons?
 
What if you grow in newspaper pots with home-made compost and only use the sun. That would be almost free. Hell I might just try that.
 
Great idea POTAWIE. I've seen people using small ones for seedlings, but I wonder how large you could make a newspaper pot and how long it could last? Could you make them so sturdy you can move them?

See there - already a new idea that almost deserves a thread on it's own;)
 
POTAWIE said:
What if you grow in newspaper pots with home-made compost and only use the sun. That would be almost free. Hell I might just try that.
Click to expand...

Geez you took my idea. Although, I was going to just toss some seeds in the compost heap also.
 
A teaser:

el_cheapo1.jpg


The "mini greenhouse" including 30 pots was about €10 three years ago. The heat from the lightning is "free" - it would just go to waste if I didn't use it to start seeds. The drawback is that the temp drops during the night when the light is out obviously.

If you do have an aquarium - use the old water, plants love it, especially if you siphon out all the fish poo you can see as well.
 
MrArboc said:
Gifts must be included in the budget to the full retail price. No fair if someone gets a hydro setup from the spouse:) If you find one in the dumpster you are just lucky and will probably win
Click to expand...

It's a mini hydro and it's a gift from my future in-laws. :P

And curse me I put an Elf seed on the hydro a week ago and it germinated, so that means it's in the Smackdown (and it won't mysteriously die...or will it??)

Wow, good stuff so far from everyone.

How about we only count cheapest budget from seedling of this growing season (make it, say, stuff that has been planted from December 1, 2009 until the end of the Smackdown).

POTAWIE, that would be perfectly fine. The cheaper the better! :) (just remember if you bought the little doo-dad that makes the little newspaper pots to include it in your expenses).

Categories?
Most original use of material?
Best Harvest?
Best pod? (pod can be entered in other ongoing smackdowns)
Best soil based?
Best improvised hydro?
Best Scarecrow?

Wow...:shocked: Michael McDonald just started singing from WITHIN my laptop...
 
What about 5 gallon buckets scrounged from bakeries? Great containers and free.

Also, what about re-using old potting mix? I normally wouldn't re use it for peppers, so essentially it's free the second year.
 
ZanderSpice said:
What about 5 gallon buckets scrounged from bakeries? Great containers and free.

Also, what about re-using old potting mix? I normally wouldn't re use it for peppers, so essentially it's free the second year.
Click to expand...

Go for it. :)

Ii've been told it's not a good idea to reuse the potting mix. But if it IS, then by all means do it.
 
I bet I can go out back and get some dirt, mix it with the free compost that I am composting, put it in a bucket that is free, and use the sun that is free. I have a couple of Hostess Cup Cake" plastic holders that I can start the seed in. I have some Fatalii seeds from Josh W that I can start in the cup cake holders and I will use dirt instead of seed starter to keep the cost down. I might cut up a 2 liter Pepsi bottle to use as a dome.

I'm in. I wonder how I am going warm the germination area for these fatalii seeds for free? I could set it on top of my monitor I reckon, or the water heater, or anythingj I reckon.
 
Right, I'll have a think about the whole kit-n-kaboodle and put the more-or-less official rules over the weekend.

For now, I think the idea of having it be for seedlings/plants planted no earlier than 1 December 2009 should stick, so that people who have full grown overwintered plants don't have to trace back for budget reasons. Still gives people a full 10 months to grow and harvest.

In the meantime, keep the ideas coming. :)
 
Behold Frankengrow!


Two car windshield sun screens I had laying around. Used to keep more heat in.
Cost: free/on hand.


Frankengrow in the nude. Saucy!


Two bulb 4' flouro lighting fixture. Purchased on sale at home depot.
Cost: $19.99


Old cooking thermometer/timer thingy I wasn't using anymore. 80 degrees inside. Nice and toasty for my seeds.
Cost: free/on hand
 

Foam insulation sheets purchased at home depot on sale.
Cost: $10.99 for a pack of 6.


2x full spectrum light bulbs purchased on sale at home depot.
Cost: $12 or so


5w reptile heat mat, plastic drinking cups used to start seeds, coco coir medium
Cost: $25


Uglyass old table I had in my basement.
Cost: Free/on hand.

Total cost: around $68
Seed start date: 31JAN10

Still have gobs of room in there, having great germination results so far, and it was cheap.
I'm happy with it.
 
Mjdtexan said:
I'm in. I wonder how I am going warm the germination area for these fatalii seeds for free? I could set it on top of my monitor I reckon, or the water heater, or anythingj I reckon.
Click to expand...

I used my cable box this year instead of a heating pad and I am getting very good germination so far.
 
kylestl said:
Yeah I start my seeds in a bag on the back of my tv. Worked good!
Click to expand...

I did papertowels in bags last year. Had great germination but transplanting was a disaster. I much prefer the Peat pellets I'm using this year.
 
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