$2.00 Garden Project for 2011 - $0.20 seeds...

[Duh_Vinci]

I believe many of us tried those $0.20 seeds from Walmart over the past few years, and I personally have no reason to complain, germination and growth just fine, even indoors.

This year want to make a little side project $2.00-$3.00 max, kinda like a small kitchen garden on the budget, just to see how far would just few dollars can stretch.

Anybody else want to play "frugal kitchen gardener" with those $0.20 seeds this year?

Many Walmarts already have those seeds in stock...

My plan is simple. Likely "squarefoot garden" style, herbs and veggies in that raised bed will be only from $0.20 seed varieties. Will try to stretch the season to the max with those seeds...

Join in if you want to play!

Regards,
D

EDIT: First batch for $2.00 garden seeds started today, 02/11/2011

Tomatoes: Delicious and Beefsteak
Peppers: Hungariax Wax, Jalapeno, Calwonder

[GardenRN]

where are these 20 cent seeds everyone is talking about from walmart? In the garden section of the walmarts around me all of the seeds are $1 a pack and then there are some organic arieties and larger packs for $2. I don't see any for $0.20. Are the somewhere else in the store?

[Duh_Vinci]

Should be in the Garden area... This morning, they didn't have them out yet (slacking), but were in the store, on the pallet, ready to be "hung" for public.

If I didn't ask for them, may not have seen those for another week, who knows... But eventually, they will be out, and hanging in the same area were $1.00 seeds are (or nearby). Veggies usually go pretty quickly (tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons and such).

Regards,
D

[GardenRN]

I'll have to go take a look. Thanks!

[TWC015]

I already bought my vegetable seeds; they weren't the 20 cent packs though. I find there is not enough variety for me on these.

At my walmart, they usually don't display these seeds properly; they are stuffed in a corner and you have to dig through the section to get them.

This past fall, a Dollar Tree store was selling their remaining 20 cent seed packs at a rate of 20 for a dollar. I found some vegetables left including beets, butternut squash, and lettuce.

[Susan W]

Check Walgreens and other stores also. There are some seeds out already

[ElizabethH.]

This sounds like fun! I was at Walmart today and only saw the $1 & $2 packs, but I'll keep looking for the cheaper ones. My daughter is wanting to grow "her own" garden this year and maybe we can use these seeds for her section.
I read an article in Mother Earth News last year about growing I think it was $700 worth of produce in a very small garden.... I think it was 100 square feet. I'm kind of fuzzy on the details now, but I thought it would be fun to actually track something like that and see how I could do.

[Avonnow]

I saw them last year in a hanging box on the end of a isle - they were .20 and they were almost sold out, I did get a few, heck I spend more on a coffee or drink. Same with dollar store seed, I will try anything, some were good, some were not so good. It is frugal though - I have to agree!

[Duh_Vinci]

It seems like the popping up everywhere now, Dollar General has them too (3 for $1.00 though)...

Devoted one existing 3x8 raised bed to this project. Will amend the soil as soon as it gets a little warmer.

Looks like a room for 2 tomato plants (Delicious and Beefsteak), 4 peppers (2 Calwonder, 1 Hungarian Wax, 1 Jalapeno)... The rest of the bed - radishes very early spring, lettuces and radishes early spring, and herbs for the rest of the summer.

Each side will have room to make a trellis for pole beans. I think it would be fun

Regards,
D

[applestar]

Sounds like a worthwhile experiment/project
I'm not going to join because I've got too many things going already

...and my garden was planned out to the minutiae back in the fall when I worked out a complicated companion-succession planting map/timeline through next winter.
But then, there's always a pretty good chance that I'd start another raised bed once spring fever sets in.

In any case, I'll be following this thread to see how your gardens turn out.

[gardenvt]

I don't have the room to do this but am willing to do a virtual garden and donate the seeds to one of our community gardens that supplies our local food shelf.

I will pick up seeds as soon as they are available at walmart, estimate the number in each packet, and determine roughly what size garden one could grow for $3 worth of seeds and $12 for tomato plants.

Maybe the following seeds if available:
Basil
Beans
Beets
Carrot
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Peas
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radish
Scallions
Spinach
Squash - summer
Squash - winter
Sunflowers

Tomatoes: Purchase slicing & cherry starter plants at Walmart.

This seems like a pretty well rounded garden and there should be some seeds left for the next year.

So, my virtual garden will be based on a family that has a 15'x15' space that was prepared in the fall - three - 3' wide beds with 2' wide paths. Since they have no lights, everything has to be started outside.

What do you think?

[gixxerific]

Just went myself DV and picked up some along with some seed starter soil. It's tomato week this week. I don't know if I will have a separate spot for them but they will be going in. They also have a ton of flowers for .$20 as well they all did fantastic for me last year.

[Bobberman]

I usually buy the different type of seeds from odd companies or even Burpee. The 20 cent packs are nice like for a standard cabbage or simson lettuce or even the head lettuce! If you want a small amount you can't bea the 20 cent seeds. Sometimes you will find seeds 10 for $1.. Agway has some deals on bulk seeds like beans and peas in the 4 ounce bag or bigger!

[soil]

the local hardware store has american seeds for 10 cents each. last year I got like 100 packets. if I end up in walmart or see them I will join in.

should we weigh the harvests?

[garden5]

My stores haven't gotten the .20 ones in yet, but should soon.

I've used these in the past and have never had a problem with them.

Many of us here tend to spend a fair amount of money on our gardens. This is because it's our hobby and we like trying different, rare, varieties that you just can't always find on the seed rack at the local store. This results in catalog shopping which is more expensive per seed pack and also includes shipping.

However, if one wanted to...you could make a great garden for well under $10. It would just be a matter of sacrificing variety for production. Once you have your first garden...you could save seed from all of those plants and have an even cheaper garden next year!

[Duh_Vinci]

Yep, there are definitely bargains out there, but so true regarding the "varieties", indeed rather limited.

My interest in this project is rather simple, how much of the fresh produce can I get out of this little "mini garden"...

So here is my first feedback:

Delicious germinated in 3 days.
Beefsteak germinated in 4-5 days
Jalapeno germinated in 6 days
Hungarian Wax germinated in 7 days
Calwonder still sittin there, but not uncommon to be at 2+ weeks for the sprouts to show up... EDIT Germinated! 9 days for these guys.

And the stars of the show are:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1192232231_hh6eZ-O.jpg[/img]

In a week or so, tomatoes will go into 2" pots, while peppers, being naturally slower will have at least 2 weeks before seeing full set of first true leafs, then 2" pots as well.

For all who's trying these $0.20 seeds - wish you best of luck, and please, do share your experiences!!!

Regards,
D

[annastasia76]

wow, germinating in a mater of just days, I really need to get a set up, even if it is just for my tomatoes and peppers, they take so long to pop up outside, since they have to deal with the temp dropping all the time.

[Duh_Vinci]

As you said, Tomato and Peppers are the main reason I bought the heat pad few years back. And while I've had good success with out it, germination in my opinion is much more even and faster with it, specially for peppers.

Happy to report, that Calwonder is pocking out too! So 9 days for the bell. Under the grow light it will go later today to join the rest

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

As you said, Tomato and Peppers are the main reason I bought the heat pad few years back. And while I've had good success with out it, germination in my opinion is much more even and faster with it, specially for peppers.

Happy to report, that Calwonder is pocking out too! So 9 days for the bell. Under the grow light it will go later today to join the rest

Regards,
D

I agree with the heat mat. I have to full trays of tomato seedling the heated side started germinating at 3 days they are all up now 7 days later. The unheated tray has yet to germinate anything,

[Duh_Vinci]

It works indeed! You can really see the difference in germination time and consistency!

On those seeds, were were in town earlier today, stopped by a Dollar Tree for some odd things, and they too have a seed rack, 4 for $1.00, added Sweet Banana peppers to the list of this "$2.00 garden"

Regards,
D

[sheeshshe]

I got a bunch of 20c seeds the other day as well. they were re-badged burpee seeds. got them at my surplus store.

can't start them yet.. I need to get everything set up and I need soil and all that jazz:)

[GardenRN]

anyone have any input as to whether a regular heating pad on low would be a good or bad idea instead of springing for the heat mat? Other than possible electrocution. I mean just as far as the seeds go. Is it too hot or too cool? Does the heat mat have a timer because the heat needs to go off and on? I know nothing about using a heat mat for seed starting.

[The Mad Hatter]

You will be pretty hard pressed to find a heating pad that stays on longer than two hours. I seen at Menards yesterday that the have a kit now that comes with the tray, dome, jiffy pellets, and a seed starting may for like 25 or 30 dollars. If you have a bit more room, check out my heating table in my 2011 grow log.

[Duh_Vinci]

...I seen at Menards yesterday that the have a kit now that comes with the tray, dome, jiffy pellets, and a seed starting may for like 25 or 30 dollars...

You can find those on clearance at the end of the year at Lowe's, that is where I got that kit 2-3 years ago at 50% off, including the mat.

Regards,
D

[The Mad Hatter]

...I seen at Menards yesterday that the have a kit now that comes with the tray, dome, jiffy pellets, and a seed starting may for like 25 or 30 dollars...

You can find those on clearance at the end of the year at Lowe's, that is where I got that kit 2-3 years ago at 50% off, including the mat.

Regards,
D

That's an even better deal yet. I have thought about getting a couple just in case my heat table goes down. You know, for emergency heheh

[garden5]

Well, I found the discount seed rack....but no jalapenos. I'm almost sure that they had them last year, anyone remember?

I'm hoping that they will be getting different varieties in as the ones on the rack get depleted. I noticed this happened with the Burpee rack.

[gixxerific]

Well, I found the discount seed rack....but no jalapenos. I'm almost sure that they had them last year, anyone remember?

Just came from there with some lettuce, radish and some flower seeds. And yes they did have Jalapenos, I was actually hoping they would have had some more pepper variety but a few. They seem to have 3-4 times as many flower seeds as veggie seeds.

[alaskagold]

20 cent seeds.... you guys are so lucky down there!

I am lucky if I can find walmart 1.00 seed packs.

I wonder if they sell the 20 seed packs online. Do they have the same amount of seeds in the packets? I wonder if these are last years seeds that didn't sell and just re-issued under .20 cents?

Hmmm

Okay, you can say I am very jealous.

[alaskagold]

ACK my last post, posted twice. Sorry about that.

[Cerbiesmom]

I got some okra, zucchini, cabbage, kohlrabi, pumpkin, wonder pepper, and radishes. And some flowers. I'm interested to see how everybody's do. Oh, and a cherry tomato.

[shadowsmom]

I looked at 4 different Wal-Marts and could not find the .20 seeds. I'm going to PA this weekend to see mom and I plan on looking our her way. I just want to start a bunch of different stuff for the fun of it and figured for $2 I could knock myself out.

[garden5]

Found my .20 jalapenos! I may have overlooked them the last time since all of the ones on the packet are red and I'm used to green (won't even get into why mine don't turn red ), but I'm almost positive that there were none there the last time I looked.

Well, at least I have them now .

[Duh_Vinci]

Glad you found them, Garden! Germination rate on Jalapeno was very good, I think 9/10 seeds came up...


Little update. Delicious and Beefsteak seedlings are strong and healthy!

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1213620912_StBEm-O.jpg[/img]

I'll let them ride in these 2.5" pots for few more weeks, then will join the others in 6" final pots until the transplant.

Peppers are doing equally well under the grow lights, bright green and growing as they should!

Regards,
D

[garden5]

Thanks, DV.

Your seedlings are looking great!