Easily Transform PVC Pipes Into A 3-Shelf Seed Starting Rack

Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, may be best known for its uses in plumbing, but thanks to its workability, accessibility, and sturdy construction, it's almost as popular as a DIYer design essential these days. There are a ton of creative ways to repurpose PVC pipes in your home and garden, often requiring little more than a cutting tool and the right collection of joints. For starters, a few measurements and some simple connections is all it takes to make shelving like the seed starting rack from YouTube channel Greens and Machines. If you're working on your green thumb and need a spot to get your garden started, this is an effective method of preparing seedlings while also being customizable and easy to assemble.

The build uses a combination of straight pipe lengths, crosses, and tees to make a sturdy three-shelf system. The PVC is strong enough to hold heavy seed trays while also providing hanging support for grow lights. It's also a modular piece that can easily be changed either by adding or removing shelves or changing the length with longer or shorter pieces of PVC. Since those pieces aren't held together by any hardware or fasteners, the shelf is very easy to disassemble and store. 

Another appeal of this DIY is the fact that PVC is relatively cheap. The shelf uses around 50 feet of ¾ inch PVC pipe, which is one of the most common sizes of PVC, as well as three cross connectors and 52 tees. If you include a pair of PVC pipe cutters, the whole project cost comes out to around $100 in materials, though you can also use a hand saw or miter saw if you don't have pipe cutters.

The Greens and Machines shelf comes out to a combined size of 54 inches wide, 18 inches long, and 60 tall, dimensions you can always adjust based on your space. The shelves consist of three rows of piping connected on the edges by tees and, in the center, by a cross unit. Tees are also serve as the connection points to the legs of the unit, and as the shelve's feet for added sturdiness. 

Each shelf is able to be outfitted with chain-adjustable grow lights that can be raised or lowered. However, you'll also want to make sure that you've constructed your shelves based on the optimal distancing between the plants and the light. Fluorescent grow lights require spacing between 3 to 12 inches between bulb and plant, while LEDs need to be around 24 inches or even higher above the seedlings. So, even if the lights are adjustable, aim to make sure the vertical spacing between your PVC shelves can accommodate the required spacing. 

Feel free to customize and upgrade this DIY according to your own tastes and styles. One idea would be to make plywood shelf toppers to add even more structural rigidity. Just be sure to leave the boards floating in order to maintain the modularity of the rack. The plywood's solid surface would also help if you use alternatives to plastic seed starting trays, such as egg cartons or soil blockers.