# Plant starter (grow light setup) - basic 2x4 construction



## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

My bride has never been *big* into gardening, although last summer she planted some flowers and some veggies in a container, so when I stumbled across someone selling used 2'x4' 3-light fluorescent light fixtures cheap ($15 each) on Craigslist, I picked some up.

My Son had spring break 2 weeks ago, so we threw something together, both as a fun project to do together and to see if my bride was interested in getting more into gardening. Most people here purchase starts, but since the ones for sale up here had to be greenhouse started (with lots of heat, etc.), they're pretty expensive. 

This layout gives her 4 shelves, each 2' x 4' with a total of eight 3-light fixtures. The overall structure is 5' tall. They are individually wired to plugs, so they can be plugged in as needed. There are two fixtures mounted between the 2-by's on the back shining frontwards, one on each side, one on top and one under the three movable shelves. 

My bride's taking to this like a duck to water, with about 150 plants started and she's starting a few container vegatable gardens for tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and even some carrots. We'll see how the carrots work in shallow (~6") pots. <g>

I told her before we built it that if she liked the idea, we could build another out of something a little more attractive but for now its in the spare bedroom / storage room.

It was a good shop project, even though a router was only used to cut dado's for the shelves, I did get to show my son how to properly wire lights (wire nuts, cable clamps, ground wires, plugs, etc.). On top of that my bride likes it... yes-sir-eee.. a successful project *indeed*! 

The only *expensive* part was that I got true extra-wide-spectrum grow bulbs (~$10 ea), but we figure it can also serve as a "SAD" light during next winter's dark season.


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

Cute!


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

Boy have done those over the years. I even have a 400 gallon fish tank rigged with grow lights to start plants. Just tell the wife to keep track of the watering and she will have much luck. Also she can grow herbs year round with that set up.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

vikingcraftsman said:


> Boy have done those over the years. I even have a 400 gallon fish tank rigged with grow lights to start plants. Just tell the wife to keep track of the watering and she will have much luck. Also she can grow herbs year round with that set up.


She's all over that.. already got about 6 herbs planted...


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

hmmm grow lights, Alaska and their looser laws regarding some plant....what is she really growing 

We used to start plants each year, but the gardens never turned out to be anything good. We haven't lived any where that we have a decent spot that gets enough sun unless we want to tear up the front yard (that is the dogs's job) and even that is covered in shade most of the time except right next to the street.  

So we end up stealing from our parent's gardens. Mine have a small garden and her's have downsized to a garden about as big as my parents back yard. If we get lucky we get stuff from one of her uncles who has a couple of acres of garden. Most of the time it is being overcharged at the local farmer's markets


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## CanuckGal (Nov 26, 2008)

Good work Jim. That will surely justify some new tool purchases.
I have a black thumb. I even kill plastic plants. :cray:


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

Deb you have got to learn to sing the Marine Corp hyme to your plants then they will grow for you.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

DerekO said:


> hmmm grow lights, Alaska and their looser laws regarding some plant....what is she really growing


Honest Oss-i-fer... That's *hemp*!!!


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

CanuckGal said:


> Good work Jim. That will surely justify some new tool purchases.


Well, her cutting board justified my Unisaw.... hm.... This is *much* bigger!!!


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## drasbell (Feb 6, 2009)

Very cool idea... I can think of new tools on the way already..


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Either that or I'm paying back... for the Veritas hand planes I bought last month... Hmm... though there *is* the maple dovetailed 4-sided "box" (no top or bottom) I made her for the FP mantle, to put her crystal-hanger on... (the mantle for the gas FP abuts a window). Double-hmmmm..... 


I guess I *should* start thinking about what I'm going to make for her to justify the air compressor upgrade I'd like to make sometime this summer... Hmm...


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## allthunbs (Jun 22, 2008)

BigJimAK said:


> I guess I *should* start thinking about what I'm going to make for her to justify the air compressor upgrade I'd like to make sometime this summer... Hmm...


Jim, you've got it all wrong. You give her a job to do like clean a thousand bricks. Then when she complains that this little hammer and chisel doesn't do the job, then you tell her about the compressor and air hammer. She sure OKs that in a hurry. But, when you get it, it is noisy and works for about 1/2 hour before it needs to cool down which doesn't help either. So you go get the one you want and she's very happy that "her" job is going so nicely.


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## AxlMyk (Jun 13, 2006)

Sideways pics make me dizzy. :blink:


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## Swallow (Jan 13, 2010)

Come fall Yuh should drop on down, as I have acres of garden I'd trade yuh some veggies fer some Alaska king Crab. A pound of peas fer a pound of legs (Good Deal Methinks).


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

AxlMyk said:


> Sideways pics make me dizzy. :blink:


For a while there I was wondering if I was the only one seeing it sideways!! I'm still dizzzzzy. Aside from that it looked-----dizzzzzzzy


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## DerekO (Jan 20, 2010)

BigJimAK said:


> Well, her cutting board justified my Unisaw.... hm.... This is *much* bigger!!!



This is why I like projects around the house so much. I might not be too handy or even able to do the stuff a lot of the time, but I do like tools  I often wonder how good of computers I would have if I stopped with tools or the other way around. At least I stopped the Ham Radio habit before I got too hooked on that and needed lots of radios and towers.


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## levon (Sep 14, 2008)

hey Jerry and Mike,

i was thinking it was my damned old computer.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

I know what you mean:bad::haha::haha:


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

*Sorry guys...*

I should have rotated the pics.. Here you go..


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## vikingcraftsman (Mar 31, 2006)

You are aware that you wont have room for all that stuff once it starts growng. Better start makng more grow light shelves.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

vikingcraftsman said:


> You are aware that you wont have room for all that stuff once it starts growng. Better start makng more grow light shelves.



LOL.. The vast majority of it is destined for the flower beds and hanging baskets... its just that the ground outside won't be sufficiently warmed up for planting fresh-starts for another month or so... since the ground freezes about 36" deep here in the winter. The mission is to get a head-start on the outdoor plants without spending $500 - $1,000 at the greenhouses... Even if it doesn't save a lot the first spring, it'll make good winter SAD lights, give any indoor plant we want a "jump start" year around and be ready to rock-n-roll next spring.

At least I *hope* that's her plan!!


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## corwinlame (Sep 4, 2012)

Grow light is necessary for your plant they used to growth of the tree. You have to make this type of lights in your gardening area. It is best way to increase the plant grow and also you have to make this light in every plant.


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