As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” After receiving a box full of seeds from All America Selections, I was inspired to come up with a plan to build an affordable seed starting rack. My seed collection is about to outgrow it’s current accommodation – an air-tight metal box I bought at IKEA years ago. I’ve been coveting the Stack and Grow seed starting system from Gardeners Supply for a while, but the reality is I simply can’t afford it. Two high school athletes, one on the verge of becoming a licensed driver, and a gigantic orthodontic bill mean things just got a bit more expensive. And I need to get creative if I’m going to continue to feed this insatiable green thumb.
Every year, I head to the local garden centers and buy four-packs of tomatoes, peppers and zucchini but never grow all of it. At 4’x16′, my raised bed is small and can’t accommodate all of the store-bought garden-ready plants and the things I grow by direct sowing. I usually give the extra away and if there are no takers, chuck it into the compost. I hate being limited by what’s available at the stores and by creating my own compact growing system, I can grow whatever I want at a fraction of the cost. This year I’m going commando (well, not in the traditional sense) and this little set-up is going to make it possible.
I found a three-tier chrome rack at Home Depot with adjustable shelves and legs that was incredibly easy to assemble. I had it together in 20 minutes. Larger racks are available but the dimensions, 30″ high x 24″ wide x 14″ deep, were just the right size for my modest aspirations.
This is where I splurged a bit and opted for a slightly more expensive light. You could go with cool fluorescent lights or a combination of cool and warm, but I found an LED grow light made by Feit that offers both the warm and cool light wavelengths on a single unit that’s supposed to encourage stronger vegetative growth. At 24″ wide, it was the perfect length for my rack so I bought two. They can be linked together or flush mounted depending on how you configure your growing system. Mounting/hanging hardware is included.
Using “S” hooks and chain, I suspended the lights from the rack above. The distance between the racks will determine how much chain you’ll need but make sure you have enough to hover the lights just above the seed trays until things start happening. Once the sprouts emerge and begin to reach, the chain allows you to raise the lighting system. Your local hardware store should be able to cut a length of chain to your specs for a few bucks. I used my husband’s tin snips, but you could also use bolt cutters, to cut the chain into equal-length segments when you’re ready to hang the light.
Cookie sheets bought at the dollar store serve as shelf liners. Two fit perfectly on each shelf. My set-up may not look as put together as some of the more expensive systems, but who cares about aesthetics when you can grow your own for hundreds less? The seeds certainly don’t, they just need a place to do their thing!
What will you be growing from seed this year?
All opinions are my own and I was not paid to endorse Feit Grow Lights or the HDX rack at Home Depot.
Thank you so much for this Information. I’m going to make one of these.
Fantastic! It’s worked really well for me in my small space and was easy on the budget. Happy growing!
I just bought supplies to create my own seed starting rack! I’m excited to get started. Thank you for the inspiration and tips!
You just made my night! That’s really exciting and I’m here for you if you have questions. Happy growing!!!
Oh happy day — this blog post is the validation that I was seeking 🙂 I’ve been googling for inexpensive seed shelving ideas and until today I hadn’t found anything super simple! Thank so much for sharing this (two years later it is still super helpful).
Your blog is delightful – I’m a veggie gardener, flowers are sooooo intimidating to me. Going to dive in here and see if I can find inspiration for my front beds (we usually just pick up whatever is on sale at the Depot!)
I’m so happy it’s helped you! I’m working on a plan for a new bed and am feeling overwhelmed too. So many plants and such a small space, it’s hard to decided what to include and what to eliminate. If I had fewer options, it’d be so much easier! Kinda like when you go into a chocolate shop. Same feeling! 😉
Hi there — this is a great setup for getting seedlings to pop up. Unfortunately, once they reach an inch or two, you’re going to have an issue (as I am now having after following this tutorial) because the light needs to be much farther away from the seedlings. Since I want to grow planters, I have to remove the second shelf to create enough distance from the grow light. Kind of a bummer. :/
Hi David, excellent point. However, the lights are rated 3300 degrees Kelvin, significantly less than the 6500K of daylight, allowing me to maintain a 2-3 inch distance between lights and seedlings (without bleaching the leaves) until they’re hardened off. I have about 12 inches of growth space between shelves, which makes it possible for me to raise the lights high enough during the seedling stage before they transition outside. I don’t have the space to pot up and it isn’t necessary for my needs which is why this system works so well for me. If potting up is for you, then you’d definitely require more distance, especially if your lights are rated 6500K. I generally don’t start anything for about 6-7 weeks before my frost free date so my plants never get leggy and require more room. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I’ll definitely address it so there’s no confusion as to what application this would work best. Cheers!
Hi Heather — hmmm. So I was not able to achieve 12 inches of grow space between light and seedlings in 2″ pots. Are you just using Jiffy pellets or something much smaller? With 6″ of grow space between light and plants I was seeing not-insignificant crisping/yellowing of tomato seedlings. Has this not been your experience?
Hi David, I’m puzzled. I’m using 2” cells so actually 10” of grow space with that factored in. By the time my tomatoes reach the light when it’s drawn all the way up, they’re ready to be hardened off. What about fertilizer? The crisping/yellowing could also be caused by synthetic fertilizer if you’re using that. I use a fish emulsion to prevent that. Too much or too little watering could also contribute to it. I wish I had an answer for you and appreciate you letting me know what you’re experiencing.
Hi Heather — super appreciate your insight. It’s entirely possible that I’ve been underwatering. I’ve been misting the seedlings daily but perhaps that’s not enough. I’m not using fertilizer, just black gold seedling mix. I’ll experiment! Thanks again for the guide. 🙂
Just another thought David, seedling mix doesn’t have fertilizer which can inhibit germination. Once the seedlings get going though, they need a little fuel so I opt for a fish emulsion. It’s less likely to burn young plants than a synthetic feed. Also, water from the bottom. I add water to those little Dollar store trays beneath the cells, that way the plants can absorb what they need without anything fungal happening up top. Thank you for reaching out, I do appreciate knowing your experience and hope things improve. Happy gardening!
Thanks for the additional information, Heather! I didn’t invest in those trays originally but I’m beginning to think that’s a good call. I’ve just been misting them and I’m wondering if they were just not getting enough water. Cheers!
Hi David! Please keep me updated. Once the seedlings get going, they need more than misting. Best to water from the bottom, which is why the tray is so helpful.