How to Build Grow Light Shelves on a Budget

Want to create an affordable indoor seed starting system? This DIY will help you build a grow light shelving unit using a wire rack, grow lights, and seed starting essentials on a budget.

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I know it's only February, there's still snow in the forecast, and those cold winter days stretch on ahead of us. But I cannot stop thinking about this year's growing season. I am so ready to clean up the yard, get the garden ready for planting, get my hands back in the dirt, and grow all sorts of flowers, fruits, and vegetables.

Lucky for me, here in New Jersey - specifically zone 7a - February is the perfect time to start our seeds. This time of year, I like to sit down and create a gardening plan with my husband. What plants do we want to grow? When can we start growing them? And how much space will we need? After that, we can start gathering supplies and then start some of our seeds indoors.

One of the best ways to get a jumpstart on garden season is by starting your seeds inside. Here in Jersey, we typically plant our outdoor garden around Mother's Day in May. That way the threat of frost has passed and plants can once again thrive outside.

In the meantime, we have trays set up indoors. We usually set them up on our dining room table. Last year, we invested in a grow light. My husband rigged up a contraption for our seed trays to sit on. But this year, those trays have really started to take up space and I wanted to do something different.

How to Build Grow Light Shelves on A bUDGET

I started looking into grow light shelves. But grow light shelves can cost a couple hundred dollars. Plus, we don't really need that many shelves. So I started to look for inspiration to DIY a shelving system that would fit our seed starting needs without costing a ton of money.

After deciding that I wanted to use a 3-shelf wire rack (nothing too crazy for our small space), I started looking at different websites for pricing. I found a shelving unit on sale at Home Depot for $30. But before committing to that set of shelves, I did a search on Facebook Marketplace. I ended up scoring almost exactly the same shelving unit for $5! It was in decent condition and I knew I could make it work.

So before hitting the home improvement store, do a quick search on FB Marketplace. Even though a new shelving unit is an affordable way to create your own seed starting system, you might find just what you're looking for on Marketplace for a deal!

After cleaning up the shelf a little bit, I decided to add wheels to the bottom. Not only did this give the shelf a bit more height, but it made it easier to move around.

This type of shelving unit has removable caps on the bottom so you can attach caster wheels instead. You should be able to find a set of four for under $10. I used these.

Once I had my wheels in place, I needed to add the lights. We already had one large bar, but I needed to fill two other shelves with light.

I found this set of four grow light bars on Amazon for $30. They're easy to connect and install. Plus, they came with various options for hanging (like the metal hangers and zip ties I used).

With the new lights in place, I needed to figure out how to attach the light we already had to the top shelf. I detached the metal rods from the wooden box my husband put together.

Then, I used zip ties to attach the metal rods to the shelving unit. I doubled up on zip ties and made them as snug as possible. Then, I hung the light from adjustable chains.

Now, all that was left to do was set up my trays. We have a bunch of seed starting trays from previous years. They can be reused. I also like to keep the pots and packs from starter plants to use from seed growing.

You can set up heat mats as well. They help with the soil temperature. But we've never used them and find that seeds germinate and grow fine without them.

While it's not necessary to set up grow light shelves near a window, we like to use the natural light as well. Keep the grow lights on for about 12-14 hours a day. If your lights come with color change options, use those settings according to seed growth.

Seeds I've Started Indoors

If you're curious about the seeds I've started indoors, I'm currently growing a mix of flowers, veggies, and even some legumes.

Growing conditions may vary depending on your zone, so do your research before you start seeds indoors and transplant them outside.

Did you build your own grow light shelves? Share them on social media using the hashtag #holokahome. Don’t forget to tag me @holokahome!