Cheapest Seed Starting and Propagation... EVER!

This is great for people who don't have a greenhouse... like me!

What I did was I freecycled (http://www.freecycle.org/) for an electric blanket. The one I got was a twin size. I guess I should say not to freecycle for one if you already have one... b/c it's wasteful or something?

Anyways.... I laid the blanket out in the basement in the corner and plugged it in. I had a bunch of aquariums laying around (you can also freecycle for these, cracked doesn't matter or buy em) so I got the second largest one I have which was the tallest and I put it on top of the blanket.

I found a large pane of clear plastic and put that over it for humidity and then I put grow lights ontop. I don't know where's a good place to purchase grow lights b/c at home depot, just the bulbs are almost ten bucks, so imagine how much the fixtures would be. I actually purchased a bulb and fixture (all in one peice) at K-Mart for about 20 bucks. Then I used an extra aquarium light and hood and then a clamp lamp w/ a flourescent bulb. I guess the plain old flourescent bulb would be the cheapest way to go. I found a discount store (now closed :() where I could buy those clamp lights for about a buck each.

I plugged the lights up to an automatic timer and the blanket in a plain old outlet so it runs all the time. And I put my seed pots and cuttings in. After they grow into starter plants, I just put them outside. Harden off to light and conditions.

It works SOOOO well and it all was very cheap. The blanket is the least expensive heating mat and the largest, and the aquarium the cheapest greenhouse ever. It holds in humidity and collects the heat from the blanket and it stays at just the right temp all the time.

PLEASE check the blanket often b/c they're supossed to be dangerous.

Brilliant! I'm gonna have to try it. It should be easy to find a blanket this time of the year. Thanks for sharing.

I think the idea is great but my first thougths were fire....Electric blankets are something you have to watch even when you use them on your bed let alone putting objects on it....we had a fire in our home last February, nothing to do with electric blankets but now I look at anything in my home that could cause a fire ... its the worse thing that could happen to you....Judy

I know, that's why I said it needs to be checked on often.

electric blanket on the basement floor... I'm sure it worked but I would see a disaster waiting to happen.

Are you familiar with one of the canning techniques or I think it's also used to melt chocolate and stuff? Maybe called a double-boiler? You have a big pot of boiling water and set smaller pot or jar in there? I've done that with honey that's crystalized.

Go back to Kmart or walmart, whatever. Go to the pet section and get a small airpump, some airline and an aquarium heater.

If you've already got different sized aquariums then get a set where one will set down inside the other and leave a couple of inches around the sides. Fill that larger aquarium with water, run your airline tube down into the water and add your heater. The heater can be set to whatever temp you want and the airpump will move the water around. Once the water reaches the set temp, the heater will then cycle on/off to maintain the temp. Then you can do your seed starting inside the smaller aquarium. Not only will it have that warm water blanket around it but there will be humidity as well.

Doesn't have to be aquariums. You could do it with different size plastic bins or tubs.

This message was edited Jun 27, 2005 5:35 PM

8ftbed, do you have a picture?

No but I'll see about putting something together.

Blaine, what about taking the electric wire out of the electric blanket aned using that as a mat? My dad did that for my mom years ago. He fastened the wire to a large 4/8 board, I think it was, put edges on it and put a layer of sand over it. Mom used it for years and dthen I used it for some time until the thermostat finally quit.

jeanette

BTW Blaine, Jung has Razzmatazz for $10.95. Jeanette

Jung!!! Same family as Gurney's and I've already been disappointed by them once.
I do wish I had ordered more from somewhere. Maybe I'll break down and go into some of the nurseries who charge like they're the only one that has anything. :)

For taking the wire out... as you already know it could be done, but that's really taking a huge risk. The "heating mats" are encased in rubber and water proof. Electricity and water is bad combination. Plus the heating blanket stuff isn't designed to be on constantly for weeks.

Funny what you said about Jung. I have used them a couple times and been pleased with them. I planted their petunias last year and thinking I wouldn't get much more than 50% I planted them all and I had 100%. I know because they sent me more than the amount of seeds and I got more than they said. I had petunias coming out my ears. I was giving beautiful petunias away to everyone that came around.

Also dahlia tubers they are repeating this year.

Jeanette

Hmmmmm, nice to know Jeanette. Maybe they've tuned up their business. It's probably 5 years or so since I tried them.

I finally tried dahlias last year with Ferncliff Illusion. I was completely sold and ordered several new varieties this year although I have to lift and store the tubers here for the winter. We're in the same zone but do you get to leave yours in ground?

blaine

Jung is not the same family as Gurneys. Jung's ratings aren't the best but they have always done right by me, three years running now. The plants mostly did well and they issued me a letter of credit immediately with no questions asked when I told them of plants that did poorly.

Good for you! I am glad to see a company improve itself when it gets a bad rep it is hard to get out of that hole. They had a negative this month, but I think each person has to decide for yourself whether to take that chance or not.

Blaine, this is the first year, actually last year was, that I tried this, but I put them in pots and then just take them in in the winter. I just cannot dig them. On the other site there is a really wonderful article about container dahlia growing. Try it uou'll like it.

Jeanette