PVC Grow-Light Stand

Last Jan. PoppySue posted plans for a grow stand. Now I'm ready to make a couple since DD is visiting from Minneapolis. Does anyone have any suggestions for changes other than making the shelves 20" apart?? At least I was smart enuf to save the plans.

I had designed my own PVC stand. Largest suggestion I can make is that you assemble everything _before_ cementing any of the joints. That way you assure that all the angles are correct.

BTW, I used mine this seed-starting season without cementing anything, and it worked fine. Mine is 5' long, with three usable shelves. If necessary, it will hold as many as 15 flats.

I found that 5' is too long a run for the PVC, so it needs to be supported with additional uprights about halfway, or else it will sag.

Shelves should only be 19", not 20", to assure enough overhang from the flats for security.

I also used three light fixtures per shelf, rather than two, to cover the flats completely. This is especially important in the early stages, when the lights are close to the flats, and the light doesn't spread all that much.

Hope this helps.

I can't give you any pointers or modifications, but T's Flowers also has online plans in case you want to compare them to PoppySue's: http://gardenwatchdog.com/c/395/

When you reach their website, you'll see a link for PVC Plant Light Stand. Hope that helps :) Post photos when you're done, please?

A nice set of plans and drawings, G-V. Thanks for posting it.

I made mine slightly differently. I have three long sections for each shelf, and no crosspieces in the center. But I have additional uprights for each shelf, centered, to prevent sagging.

The sidepieces are glued-up, as is each self section, but the sides and shelves are not cemented together. The whole thing then knocks down into easy-storing flat pieces.

Thanks for your imput. T's set of drawings was the plan I was going to use. Poppysue said the shelves at 14" apart were to close together to have much room to move the lights up and had suggested shelves 20" apart in height. Any other ideas? thanks

I think 14" is too tight, Talinum. I made mine 2 feet apart. If you go 20" that should be fine for most starts. Plus you could go to a fourth shelf and not have the unit unstable.

Yes - I went 20 inches apart with my shelves. I think 24 inches apart would make it too tall for me. I had a little trouble reaching the plants on the top shelf as it was. I also put some sturdy wire fencing on the shelves to keep the trays from tipping and so I could set larger pots on them.

All I use mine for is seed starting, in flats and plastic cups, so larger pots was not a problem for me.

If I had it to do over again, I would space the shelves at 20 inches just so I could add another one.

In my design, PoppySue, the first shelf is at floor level, then one at two feet, one at four feet, and a final one at six feet. No lights for that one, of course, so I used it to store empty flats, dome covers, etc. But in terms of usable shelves, the topmost was only four feet high.

I made one following Poppy Sues plans and it worked great. This year I'm going to modify it to make the shelves farther apart; as the plants get taller more height between the shelevs are required. I also started some plants in larger pots and a higher shelf was needed.

Its a wonderful unit; I never did glue the pipes and it was fine.

Paul

thanks for everyones ideas on the lite stand. My DD and I made 2 the other day. We followed PoppySue's directions including 20" between shelves. I had a terrible time using the PVC pipe cutter--couldn't get the ends even. Maybe it doesn't matter anyway. We ended up using a chop saw to cut the pieces and it worked great.

Well, the woodworkers reading this might cringe, but we used DH's radial arm saw to cut our PVC. Works like a charm!