Seedcropolis

Last year I grew weary of the daunting task of starting seeds indoors with direct sunlight..  It works well enough when they're small but as soon as the seedlings turn to small plants you're faced with constantly turning, maneuvering, and untangling them.  It's effing awful.  The only way(s) to rectify that is to 1) build a greenhouse - which obviously is not plausible for someone in my situation, 2) deal with it and stop complaining, or 3) build something so as to start seedlings with artificial lighting.  I'll take # 3.

Materials:
1 stainless steel metro shelving unit, preferably 72 in high x 48 in wide x 18 in deep.
48 in long fluorescent lights.
Power strip. 

Optional:
Heat pad.
Reflective blanket to hang behind rack.

I purchased the 18 inch deep shelf because it is wide enough to allow a full row of seeds to receive enough lighting.  Also with it being 72 inches high it allows for 4 full shelves of growing if needed. 

Lighting can be achieved in many ways.  I purchased 1 single unit that has 4 individual bulbs.  It fits nicely, but two two-bulb lights would work just as well, simply requiring more wires and more chains.

Wattage is another issue to keep in mind.  When purchasing designated "grow" lights you will get a higher wattage, more heat, and a more "natural" light.  These obviously will work the best but they will also cost a bit more.  I paid $55 for the 4 bulb set and it's only 30 watt.  It will work just fine but I have to start the light basically touching the seedlings.  I only purchased one light to start and so I'm planning on increasing the quality for the second one.



Beginning to assemble the unit.


The heat pad is a very nice addition if you have one/purchase one because it will keep the seedlings at a constant temperature even when you turn the light out over night.  The seedlings need at least 6 hours of darkness per day.  My temperature under the lights is at or around 75 degrees when the light is lit, but drops to around 60 degrees at night (my basement is cold), so a pad would be ideal.

Testing the height of the light.

Simply assemble your lighting fixture and hang from the shelf directly above.  Be sure to purchase lights that have the optional chains to hang from.  This will save you a lot of hassle and will allow you to easily adjust the height when the plants begin to grow.  Most often they're called "shop lights."

Finished product with one flat of seeds.

There you have it!  Easy as drinking a beer.  Keep the light slightly above the seedlings until they emerge, then raise it to coincide with their growth. 

Currently I have Swiss Chard, Celery, Lettuce, and Spinach started.  This weekend I will start some Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Leeks, and a few others.

Start the seeds in a good organic seed starting mix, barely covered.  Keep them moist but don't over water.  If you have capability to water from below I have found that works best.

Close-up of Giant Pascal and Tendercrisp Celery started.

If you aren't growing enough to use all of the shelves it becomes great storage space.  These wire metros are also great for storing harvested veggies on when the time comes.  Good luck, happy seeding. 

Good talk.

Keep it metro yo.