It’s time to start seeds indoors already! (At least here in NC it is). We started seeds for several varieties of vegetables a couple of weeks ago and they are coming up nicely. We have seeds planted for tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, cilantro, broccoli and kale. For those of you wanting to start your garden seeds indoors, do you know you can make your own grow light for a mere $20?
That’s right–a cheap grow light made from PVC pipe, a fluorescent light, and metal hooks that can be taken apart or disassembled when not in use!
Here is what you will need:
– PVC pipe (three 1/2″x10′)
– hand or chop saw
– 1/2″ PVC corners (6)
– 1/2″ PVC tees (2)
– 48″ dual tube fluorescent light with included chains (runs about $12)
– appropriate fluorescent tubes (2)
– J hooks and nuts (2) for securing lamp into PVC piping
– drill and drill bits
For starting seeds:
– seed starting trays or pots
– soil
– pencil
– seeds
– towel
– water in spray bottle
Here is what you will need to do:
The stand can be assembled in two sections, the base and the hanger. The base is just a rectangle made with two 50″ and four 12″ lengths of 1/2″ PVC pipe, assembled with four 1/2″ corner connectors and two 1/2″ tees. The long side of the rectangle must be slightly longer than the light fixture, so if you choose a different size light, scale this dimension appropriately.
The pipes should fit snugly into the connectors, so no glue is needed to hold the whole thing together.
The finished stand is shown below. The open hole of the tees should point up in order to receive the riser pipes.
The hanger is shown below. The risers (top and bottom of the picture) can be cut to whatever length needed to hang the light at the desired height. I chose 3 feet, but later cut some shorter risers so that the light can hang closer to the seedlings. One to two feet should be plenty for shallow seed trays. The cross bar (the part that supports the light fixture) should be the same length as the longer side of your base (50″ in this case). Two corner connectors hold the whole hanger together.
You can hang the light on the cross bar however you prefer, but J hooks were cheap and keep the fixture securely in place. Simply measure the distance between where the chains connect to your light fixture and drill two vertical holes (slightly larger than the diameter of the bolt portion of the J hook) centered that distance apart in the cross bar. Throw a nut on each J hook and you’re ready to assemble everything.
Push the ends of the riser into the open holes of the tees in the base, and then hang the light fixture by the included chains. That’s it! Should take 30 minutes or less. The nice thing about this setup is that it can be easily customized to your particular needs. With two more tees added to the base, another hanger can be added to accommodate a second fixture. Since you didn’t have to glue it together, the whole thing can be disassembled and stored under a bed or in a closet at the end of the growing season.
To start the seeds, use high quality potting soil or organic compost with soil and place in seed starting trays (we used the Jiffy trays with the plastic tops and recycle them each year).
I use a pencil eraser to push a little indention into each seed container, then drop a seed or two in each one. Make sure and keep a list or diagram handy to write down what seeds you have placed where. Cover seed holes back with soil and water well.
Place under grow light and monitor growth (we also kept a towel underneath our seed trays). Water every day so that soil doesn’t dry out (or use a self-watering seed starting tray). We keep the grow light on the seedlings about 16 hours per day with the help of a three-prong light timer.
You may have to give it several days to germinate before you see growth, so be patient! Before too long we will have to transplant these to bigger pots, and then out to our cold frame, and then finally into the ground when it is warm enough.
What an awesome idea! We have grow lights in our garage and hang them from the ceiling, but I think a stand like yours would work out a lot better. We haven't started seeds yet (we're in MO) but we did just get them all in the mail last week! Now I just have to plan out when to start them indoors 🙂
What an awesome idea! We have grow lights in our garage and hang them from the ceiling, but I think a stand like yours would work out a lot better. We haven't started seeds yet (we're in MO) but we did just get them all in the mail last week! Now I just have to plan out when to start them indoors 🙂
What an awesome idea! We have grow lights in our garage and hang them from the ceiling, but I think a stand like yours would work out a lot better. We haven't started seeds yet (we're in MO) but we did just get them all in the mail last week! Now I just have to plan out when to start them indoors 🙂
Great post, Megan! I'm starting my seeds this week… can't wait!
Great post, Megan! I'm starting my seeds this week… can't wait!
Great post, Megan! I'm starting my seeds this week… can't wait!
I would love to have you link up to The HomeAcre Hop this evening!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-homeacre-hop-7.html
I would love to have you link up to The HomeAcre Hop this evening!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-homeacre-hop-7.html
I would love to have you link up to The HomeAcre Hop this evening!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-homeacre-hop-7.html
Great DIY! Looks very easy to set up and so much cheaper than anything similar I've priced. Thanks 🙂
Great DIY! Looks very easy to set up and so much cheaper than anything similar I've priced. Thanks 🙂
Great DIY! Looks very easy to set up and so much cheaper than anything similar I've priced. Thanks 🙂
I found your post from the barn hop. I've got a question maybe you can answer about grow lights. I'm wondering if a special light is required or will regular fluorescents work. I was feeling discouraged when all the "grow lights" I saw were so expensive. Thanks
Hi there! A regular fluorescent light that hangs will work just fine- you should be able to find them at Lowes for about $12 or so. It should come with the chain link for hanging, and then you just purchase the hooks and hardware to screw it in to the PVC pipe. Good luck and let me know if you have success!
Hi there! A regular fluorescent light that hangs will work just fine- you should be able to find them at Lowes for about $12 or so. It should come with the chain link for hanging, and then you just purchase the hooks and hardware to screw it in to the PVC pipe. Good luck and let me know if you have success!
Hi there! A regular fluorescent light that hangs will work just fine- you should be able to find them at Lowes for about $12 or so. It should come with the chain link for hanging, and then you just purchase the hooks and hardware to screw it in to the PVC pipe. Good luck and let me know if you have success!
Great instructions 🙂 Thanks for sharing this on The HomeAcre Hop!!! Can't wait to see what you share this coming Thursday 🙂 Here's the super easy link to the next hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-homeacre-hop-8.html
If you haven't checked out Wildcrafing Wednesday yet, please do! 🙂 It's a hop I co-host for herbal remedies, natural living, real food recipes, and self sufficient living. Here's the link for tomorrow's hop:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-10.html
Great instructions 🙂 Thanks for sharing this on The HomeAcre Hop!!! Can't wait to see what you share this coming Thursday 🙂 Here's the super easy link to the next hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-homeacre-hop-8.html
If you haven't checked out Wildcrafing Wednesday yet, please do! 🙂 It's a hop I co-host for herbal remedies, natural living, real food recipes, and self sufficient living. Here's the link for tomorrow's hop:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-10.html
Great instructions 🙂 Thanks for sharing this on The HomeAcre Hop!!! Can't wait to see what you share this coming Thursday 🙂 Here's the super easy link to the next hop!
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/the-homeacre-hop-8.html
If you haven't checked out Wildcrafing Wednesday yet, please do! 🙂 It's a hop I co-host for herbal remedies, natural living, real food recipes, and self sufficient living. Here's the link for tomorrow's hop:
http://www.theselfsufficienthomeacre.com/2013/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-10.html
Thank you so much for sharing this!! My husband and I just made a DIY heating mat and were surprised at how quickly our seeds started growing. We planted lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos Saturday evening and we are already seeing growth just three days later. If you're interested in checking out the mat the link is as follows: http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11658/diy-heat-mat-speeds-seed-starting. Once again, thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial!!!!
P.S. – We also have Dominique chickens :). They enjoy being outside even when it's raining and are GREAT foragers. My husband is a teacher, so we took some of our eggs and they're currently in an incubator at his school. I'm curious to see how many will hatch. I love the history behind the Dominiques and am glad to read about your adventures raising them.
Thank you so much for sharing this!! My husband and I just made a DIY heating mat and were surprised at how quickly our seeds started growing. We planted lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos Saturday evening and we are already seeing growth just three days later. If you're interested in checking out the mat the link is as follows: http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11658/diy-heat-mat-speeds-seed-starting. Once again, thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial!!!!
P.S. – We also have Dominique chickens :). They enjoy being outside even when it's raining and are GREAT foragers. My husband is a teacher, so we took some of our eggs and they're currently in an incubator at his school. I'm curious to see how many will hatch. I love the history behind the Dominiques and am glad to read about your adventures raising them.
Thank you so much for sharing this!! My husband and I just made a DIY heating mat and were surprised at how quickly our seeds started growing. We planted lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos Saturday evening and we are already seeing growth just three days later. If you're interested in checking out the mat the link is as follows: http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11658/diy-heat-mat-speeds-seed-starting. Once again, thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial!!!!
P.S. – We also have Dominique chickens :). They enjoy being outside even when it's raining and are GREAT foragers. My husband is a teacher, so we took some of our eggs and they're currently in an incubator at his school. I'm curious to see how many will hatch. I love the history behind the Dominiques and am glad to read about your adventures raising them.
Thank you so much for sharing this great DIY!! My husband and I just made a DIY heating mat and were surprised at how quickly our seeds started growing. We planted lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos Saturday evening and we are already seeing growth just three days later. If you're interested in checking out the mat, the link is as follows: http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11658/diy-heat-mat-speeds-seed-starting. Once again, thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial!!!!
P.S. – We also have Dominique chickens :). They enjoy being outside even when it's raining and are GREAT foragers. My husband is a teacher, so we took some of our eggs and they're currently in an incubator at his school. I'm curious to see how many will hatch. I love the history behind the Dominiques and am glad to read about your adventures raising them.
Thank you so much for sharing this great DIY!! My husband and I just made a DIY heating mat and were surprised at how quickly our seeds started growing. We planted lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos Saturday evening and we are already seeing growth just three days later. If you're interested in checking out the mat, the link is as follows: http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11658/diy-heat-mat-speeds-seed-starting. Once again, thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial!!!!
P.S. – We also have Dominique chickens :). They enjoy being outside even when it's raining and are GREAT foragers. My husband is a teacher, so we took some of our eggs and they're currently in an incubator at his school. I'm curious to see how many will hatch. I love the history behind the Dominiques and am glad to read about your adventures raising them.
Thank you so much for sharing this great DIY!! My husband and I just made a DIY heating mat and were surprised at how quickly our seeds started growing. We planted lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos Saturday evening and we are already seeing growth just three days later. If you're interested in checking out the mat, the link is as follows: http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/11658/diy-heat-mat-speeds-seed-starting. Once again, thanks for sharing this wonderful tutorial!!!!
P.S. – We also have Dominique chickens :). They enjoy being outside even when it's raining and are GREAT foragers. My husband is a teacher, so we took some of our eggs and they're currently in an incubator at his school. I'm curious to see how many will hatch. I love the history behind the Dominiques and am glad to read about your adventures raising them.
This has been an excellent Grow Light tutorial. I've heard a lot of talk about it but this was the first step by step instruction I found. Thanks again.
This has been an excellent Grow Light tutorial. I've heard a lot of talk about it but this was the first step by step instruction I found. Thanks again.
This has been an excellent Grow Light tutorial. I've heard a lot of talk about it but this was the first step by step instruction I found. Thanks again.
What an amazing post! This DIY grow light is indeed perfect. I would love to try making this for my indoor garden soon. Grow lights are indeed very much helpful and perfect in growing plants indoors or in places where the sun is impossible. This innovation really impresses me a lot. Thanks for sharing this great post.
–DanTheGrowMan.com
What an amazing post! This DIY grow light is indeed perfect. I would love to try making this for my indoor garden soon. Grow lights are indeed very much helpful and perfect in growing plants indoors or in places where the sun is impossible. This innovation really impresses me a lot. Thanks for sharing this great post.
–DanTheGrowMan.com
What an amazing post! This DIY grow light is indeed perfect. I would love to try making this for my indoor garden soon. Grow lights are indeed very much helpful and perfect in growing plants indoors or in places where the sun is impossible. This innovations really impresses me a lot. Thanks for sharing this great post.
–DanTheGrowMan.com
Wow! Great post with easy to follow instructions! I will definitely be using this setup for my moringa seedlings. Thx again!
Wow! Great post with easy to follow instructions! I will definitely be using this setup for my moringa seedlings. Thx again!
Wow! Great post with easy to follow instructions! I will definitely be using this setup for my moringa seedlings. Thx again!
Wow! Great post with easy to follow instructions! I will definitely be using this setup for my moringa seedlings. Thx again!
Wow! Great post with easy to follow instructions! I will definitely be using this setup for my moringa seedlings. Thx again!
I am glad you shared this tutorial. This is just in time because the idea of having indoor plants is popping in my head already. And now, I know how to do it correctly. Thanks!
LEDGrowLightForum.com
I am glad you shared this tutorial. This is just in time because the idea of having indoor plants is popping in my head already. And now, I know how to do it correctly. Thanks!
LEDGrowLightForum.com
I am glad you shared this tutorial. This is just in time because the idea of having indoor plants is popping in my head already. And now, I know how to do it correctly. Thanks!
LEDGrowLightForum.com
I found many important points in your blog, many sites are offering online services to buy led lights. UFO Led Grow Lights
I found many important points in your blog, many sites are offering online services to buy led lights. UFO Led Grow Lights
I found many important points in your blog, many sites are offering online services to buy led lights. UFO Led Grow Lights
Very helpful DIY LED grow lights tutorial. Having an indoor garden is a good idea with the help of this lighting equipment.
Very helpful DIY LED grow lights tutorial. Having an indoor garden is a good idea with the help of this lighting equipment.
Very helpful DIY LED grow lights tutorial. Having an indoor garden is a good idea with the help of this lighting equipment.
Well Megan !!! Awesome work u define Grow light Tutorial step by step with images its helps the users who find these types of posts thanks for sharing this tutorial.
Thanks & Regards
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SecondSunLab
Well Megan !!! Awesome work u define Grow light Tutorial step by step with images its helps the users who find these types of posts thanks for sharing this tutorial.
Thanks & Regards
——————————
SecondSunLab
Well Megan !!! Awesome work u define Grow light Tutorial step by step with images its helps the users who find these types of posts thanks for sharing this tutorial.
Thanks & Regards
——————————
SecondSunLab
Nice Blog
Nice Blog
Nice Blog