When starting seeds indoors you have to adjust the height of the lights as the plants grow. A quick tip is to set the lights high up and adjust the height of the flats using books or boxes. It will save you time and frustration.
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32 Comments
Thanks for sharing this simple and yet a great idea ❤
Thanks Gary. Love your channel
Hahaha. I figured this out when I first started because it was such a pain adjusting the lights. I use some 2×4 cut offs to raise the flats 👍
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Thx Gary…pretty good advice👍
Ah, some seeds like dark, some seeds like light.
Happy New Year Gary!😊
Thank you!
Nice tip!
Love these quick tips. So helpful! Do you have any recommendations for the lights by chance?
Good tip. Has anyone ever told you how much you sound like the late great Vincent Price!?
Great tip!
When we are so involved we can forget some of simple ideas. Thanks
I learned this my first year. Some Amazon boxes work very well.
OMG brilliant! So simple but never thought of this myself 😏 Amd don't get me started on that foil over the gap between the lights. I'll be using that too!
great tip. ty
I just use inverted seed starting trays because they're made of strong plastic (Bootstrap Farmer) and can handle heat, humidity better than a beloved book…of course, if you have some junky old books you don't like, I suppose it's ok to throw them under there.
Books, being paper, can also become host to mold or mildew, however, so I still avoid using them.
I have plenty of extra seed trays that work great. Initially, I'll take some painters tape and clam shell two together for additional height. Once the seedlings start pushing too close to the lights, I switch to just one (inverted) seed tray. Once the seedlings get too close to the light from there, I remove the "riser" seed tray and keep them at shelf level till they're ready to go outside.
Buy Gary's books and use them to raise the flats. 😂 I'm too attached to my books but hang onto every piece of flat shipping foam I find. Works as well and no tears shed over ruined books.
Oh that makes so much sense! Thank you.
I had to chuckle. I just figured this out too 😄 My lights are hung by chains and adjusting them can be a drag
Great tip I’ll sure to use. I noticed the heat mat on lower shelf not in use on your seeds? Not needed? Lights give enough heat for germination?
i myself find the flats wont leak if i leave them alone , moving the lights is no big deal for me. but anyways thanks for the vid
Hi Gary. I watch pretty much everyone one of you videos. I occasionally buy items that come shipped protected with Styrofoam. I save the Styrofoam and cut it into 2 inch wide, 6 inch long strips. The Styrofoam ranges in thickness from a half inch to around 3 inches.
I have two metal 36 inch wide, 14 inch deep and 5 feet tall stands with four shelves in each. Each shelf I’ve attached two grow lights with S hooks hanging about 3/4 of an inch below the shelves. I start out raising my seed trays to about 4 inches below the light by using the different thickness of Styrofoam. I place two pieces or stacks of Styrofoam at the two back corners, and one stack in the center of the front side of the tray, forming a tripod. You really don’t need Styrofoam in all four corners. The styrofoam is sturdy and the extra pieces of styrofoam I’m not using I store in a box out of sight. The system is very efficient, quick, light weight and stores away easily. A great way to repurpose an item that needs to be disposed of in the garbage.
Cheers, sincerely, Ray.
👍👍👍🎉🎉🎉🎉
Can't wait for the new growing season Gary!
Dollar store containers work great too.
This is a great idea! I share the concerns about wet books, but I have tons of CD/DVD cases that should work just as well.
Exactly! I keep different sizes Amazon and Walmart boxes (depths) and just switch them out as needed. Much easier!
Yeah buddy! Did this from day 2. Day one, the cheap likely Chinese chains broke when trying to adjust.
Great video
My husband is a carpenter and has lots of wood scraps available. I use them for raising or lowering the seed trays.
Ha! Books…..brilliant 🐇
You are so right about raising and lowering the plants rather than the lights. As someone who values my books, I have another approach. I save the styrofoam packing material from items I buy and use that. It can be 1" thick to 6" or more. It is light, waterproof and recyclable