How to Build a Seed Tray Sprouting Rack

Print this articleIf you start a lot of plants in your garden from seed, a sprouting rack can help you store the seed trays as they germinate and grow into seedlings. The rack looks like a bookshelf with a fluorescent lamp built into the underside of each shelf. The light helps the seedlings grow and stay warm when a window is too small or too chilly for them. Make as many racks as you need to get your garden off to a health start.

Related Searches:Difficulty:ModerateInstructions Things You'll Need3/4-inch-thick plywood sheet, 72 inches by 48 inchesMeasuring tapeSawSafety glasses8 boards, 2-inches by 2-inches, 6 feet long2 boards, 4-inches by 4-inches, 6 feet long2-inch-long deck screwsDrillPencilScrew-in cup hooks2 utility lights, 48-inches long4 fluorescent light bulbs that fit into the utility lightsPower strip or extension cordSuggest Edits1

Measure and cut the plywood into three pieces, each 24 inches by 48 inches, using the saw. Wear safety glasses while cutting.

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Cut four 2-by-2 boards to 5-foot lengths. Cut four 2-by-2 boards to 4-foot lengths. After you cut the 4-foot boards, you should have four 2-foot long boards. Trim two of the 2-foot boards to 16 inches.

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Cut the 4-by-4 boards into two 4-foot-long boards and two 16-inch-long boards

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Use the drill and 2-inch-long deck screws to attach the bottom of one 5-foot long, 2-by-2 board to each side of the 4-foot long 4-by-4 boards. The 5-foot long boards will be vertical, forming the sides of the rack, and the 4-by-4 boards will be horizontal, forming the supportive bottom of the rack.

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Place the 16-inch-long, 4-by-4 boards between two of the vertical 5-foot-long boards to form a box shape of 4-by-4 boards on the bottom. Attach the 16-inch-long boards to the 5-foot boards using two deck screws on each side.

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Place one of the plywood boards on top of the 4-foot long 4-by-4 boards to make the first shelf on the rack. Attach the plywood to the boards with six screws on each side, spaced evenly apart.

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Measure two feet from the top of the plywood on the 4-by-4 boards and make a mark on each 5-foot board. Place one 4-foot-long 2-by-2 board between the 5-foot boards on the front and back side of the rack, lining up the bottom edge of the 2-by-2 board with the mark. Attach the 2-by-2 boards to the 5-foot boards using two deck screws on each side.

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Lay the second piece of plywood on the 2-by-2 boards attached to the rack. Attach the plywood to the 2-by-2 boards with six screws on each side, spaced evenly apart. Repeat the process to attach the third and final shelf, positioned two feet above the second shelf.

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Push one 16-inch-long 2-by-2 board between the 5-foot-long boards at the top for added support. Attach the 16-inch-long boards to the 5-foot posts with screws.

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Screw the cup hooks into the underside of each shelf to hang the utility lights. Attach the lights to the hooks using the chains that should have come with the lights. Install the fluorescent tubes into each light fixture.

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Position the rack in the spot where you want it. To make full use of the rack, place it under a fluorescent lamp so that the top rack gets light exposure as well. Plug the lamps into the power strip or extension cord, plug into a electrical socket on the wall and turn on the lamps.

ReferencesFine Gardening: Nurture Seedlings on a Tiered Growing StandRichmond Food Secure: Build Your Own Seedling RackRead Next:

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