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Closed Captioning: What kind of lights do you use? Where did you buy those shelves from? How did you attach the lights? These are questions I get every spring when seed starting time is upon us. If you haven’t had a chance to look at the list of equipment on page 274, now would be a good time to pause the video and have a look. My preference is to use a 4 foot wide metal shelving unit. These types of units are available online from most if not all big box stores. The one I use has 5 shelves. What I like about it too is that it can hold up to 20 seed starting trays! Let’s talk about the grow lights. I don’t use commercially marketed grow lights but rather LED shop lights that are 4 feet wide to match the width of the unit. These LED lights replicate daylight and are about 6000-6500 kelvins. They are very customizable. Some of my shelves have 3 lights and others have 5, all connected in series. Remember that light coverage is important, so plan accordingly. More is more I say, but you can start small and add more lights as your needs grow. The lights are attached to scrap wood pieces. C and S hooks allow me to use a small lightweight chain to control the height of the light. For these types of lights, you want to have a clearance of 1-2 inches at the most from the bottom of the light to the top of the seedling. But this clearance can be different for other types of lights. As the seedlings grow, you can move the lights up by adjusting the chain. You can also fix the lights directly to the shelving unit using zip ties and adjust the shelf height or use risers or boxes to prop the trays up. To set up your grow station you will also need extension cords, a mechanical timer, heat mats and a fan. The fan will help circulate the air and make for sturdier and healthier seedlings.
