Seedling rack

Despite the fact that winter is a time of rest for gardeners and gardeners, now the seeds are being actively selected and a place is planned for the seedlings of future vegetables or flowers, and this is also the most suitable period to choose and buy a rack for seedlings. Many people in the old fashioned way arrange trays and glasses with seeds on windowsills or homemade structures. This method is only suitable when there are few seedlings. For those who want to grow different varieties of plants or plan to sell seedlings, you should think about equipping a special place or room for growing seedlings from sprouting to transplanting into the ground. This task is easily solved with the help of ready-made shelving, which consists of racks and several shelves. You can buy a rack for seedlings in various designs, based on the number of plants and their characteristics.

What seedlings can be placed on the rack

The rack is suitable for placing trays with seedlings of vegetables such as cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, etc. You can arrange pots with seedlings of flowers: marigold, primroses or even tulips for early spring sale. Florists can use a metal flower rack for growing indoor plants. Thanks to the ability to change the height of the shelves, short succulents or violets, as well as hydrangeas or tall orchids, there will be enough room to grow.

Such a design can be your assistant in growing microgreens in an apartment or a private house. The window rack for microgreen seedlings does not block the sunlight due to the absence of partitions and walls, which is important for a good harvest. Layering of trays allows you to increase the amount of planted greenery.

Benefits of metal seedling racks

A seedling rack is an inexpensive, but reliable and versatile design that allows you to simultaneously solve several problems:

all plants are in one place and you no longer need to force window sills in the house;
each standard design has from 4 to 8 shelves, which allows you to divide the seedlings by varieties and types and reduces the likelihood of confusion;
thanks to a stable and reliable rack frame, lamps, lamps can be installed on the structure, and a led strip can be attached so as not to depend on natural light.

The main advantage of the home seedling rack is its compactness. Even in standard sizes, you can choose a model of the required dimensions, which will fit on the balcony or will not interfere with the room. Also steel structures:

withstand a large load of trays with soil without bending under their weight;
collapsible models after the end of the season are quickly disassembled and compactly folded, not taking up much space;
plant racks are made of high-quality metal and will last for many years without losing their attractive appearance and characteristics;
light weight makes the structure mobile and can be easily rearranged from one side of the room to the other or moved closer to the window.

The cost of the structures can be a decisive factor when making a purchasing decision. There are models on the market in various price segments. The cost depends on the size and thickness of the metal. To make the purchase profitable, you can buy cheap seedling racks made of steel of various thicknesses directly from the manufacturer.

How to choose a seedling rack

Every gardener knows how many trays with seedlings he needs and how much space they take up. This information is basic when choosing a rack for flowers or seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and others. Since trays and trays are used for planting seeds, it is important to properly size them to fit on the shelf. The standard rack depth is 400-500 mm, which is quite enough to accommodate containers up to 40 cm wide. The shelf length is usually 1000 mm. In this case, pallets with earth of 300 × 450 mm can be placed in two pieces on each shelf.

Painted and galvanized structures are suitable for trays and pallets with soil. Both options are resistant to moisture and corrosion. The coating protects the steel from splashing or water ingress. You can choose models with a shelf edge to protect containers from falling.
The carrying capacity of the metal rack for seedlings depends on the thickness of the metal. As standard, each shelf can hold up to 150 kg. In reinforced models, the load increases to 250 kg.
Without enough sunlight, the seedlings will not be able to grow strong. An open shelving unit can be placed near a window, on a balcony or even on a veranda. Thanks to the ability to install lamps and fluorescent lamps, the structure can be installed in a garage or in a poorly lit room. The rigid frame allows you to cover it with a film to create the necessary microclimate for plants, simulating greenhouse conditions with an increase in temperature and humidity.

If you have a greenhouse that you plan to equip for growing seedlings at any time of the year, then it is beneficial to buy wholesale seedling racks.

How to assemble a seedling rack

The rack can be purchased in quantities from 1 piece. Buying a modular system, the frames are combined with each other, becoming in one row, or you can plan the room by placing them in the right order. It should be noted that the structures do not require additional fixation to the floor or wall, which simplifies the installation process.
The most popular models of plant racks are collapsible. In them, the shelves are connected in pairs to the uprights with bolts or using fasteners-hooks, according to the instructions.
A simple connection does not require special skills and tools, and has already proven its reliability during operation. To protect the flooring, foot pads are put on the legs.