I needed a way to start a couple of seeds without turning on my big grow lights and running up my electric bill. With this homemade seed starter I only use 23 watts. Compared to just one 48 inch shop light (80) to (64) watts depending on your bulbs. Not to mention the space shop light takes. So I was thinking why not use a bucket, its water tight and just the right size to fit any where. I'm not going to go over instructions on how to make it, I'll just take a couple of pictures and let you figure it out. The drill bit was 1" if you can't see plus I use a daylight bulb 23 watts that’s it.
A couple of thing to think about, temperature, ventilation, and time. When I was growing my second set of seedlings I was growing them in the garage with an average temperature around 45-50F. With no holes in the lid or bucket I was able to maintain a temperature above 80F in the bucket. This works great in a basement too where temps run in the 60's. If you were going to use this in your house you might want to drill an extra hole in the lid. This would help keep your temperature in check. Is also a great idea to get a cheap 24 hour timer. When I’m starting seeds I leave my light on 24 hours a day. After 80% of my seeds have sprouted I set the timer for 12 hours. I leave the timer like this for two weeks the I add an hour of light a week till I plant them out in the garden. A cheap thermometer is also a good idea, you could just leave it in the grow bucket. "Grow Bucket" I like that, that’s what I'll call this project.
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Starting Seeds
Peat Pellets
Peat Pellets are great for seed starting. Ultra thin plastic netting surrounds compacted peat soil. Just add water and watch these pellets expand. Saves space, time, and reduces transplant shock.
Coco Coir Pellets
Fiber Grow is made from coir, a highly renewable resource. They offer all the benefits of peat without the harmful effects on the environment. In addition coir has the capacity to absorb more water, and retain it for longer periods than peat products.
Seedling Grow Lights
CFL
CFL lights are all you really need to start seedlings. If your starting lots of seedling I would use a 48 inch shop light, but for a small area like a bucket CFL's will work
Shop lights
I only use them when I'm starting the bulk of my seeds. I use 5 shop light over a 4 x 2 foot table. Ten bulbs works great maybe a little over kill but its hard to give seedlings too much artificial light.
Cheap Homemade Seed Starter 
