Light Rack

Here is the awesome light rack I created by adding fluorescent lights to the metal shelving unit I had in the garage. It's pretty good for what it is, but I intend to expand the seeding capacity by building a larger, wooden shelving unit that will hold several greenhouses per shelf. They make four foot grow lights, so I'll likely make my next set up with those.

This one is nice because it's small and sturdy. It is totally portable and could be moved to our front porch or a different part of the basement if we needed to rearrange anything.

And, yes, that is the edge of the box to the Chuck Norris endorsed Total Gym 1100. In the words of an American Icon, "Six to eight minutes on the Total Gym provides an incredible workout."

This shelf is the one with the outlet box. The grow tray on this is heated, so the heating element can easily plug into the outlet. I may attach an additional light bar to the rafters above the light rack at some point, and then I could simply plug that light into the outlet. The whole rack is powered by a switch on the middle shelf, so even the outlet is turned off when the power switch is off.
You can just see the switch in the corner of the picture. I use the spray bottle to regulate the amount of water I put on each plant. I believe I over watered the first plantings, as mold grew on them. So far, with the different growth medium and less water involved, the new plantings are remaining mold free. I also think sterilizing the containers first had a big hand in the better health of the new seedlings.

This is the bottom rack, where I've planted the beans, melons, and squash. The top rack has peppers on the heating element, the middle rack is entirely tomatoes (6 different varieties). Shortly I'll be building a portable greenhouse for the front porch out of scrap lumber and a clear vinyl shower curtain. Stay tuned!