Cool! Did you score them for free? My hubby has made good use of shelving for displays to make trellis's for my peas and beans. :) gotta love toss aways....and yes, we are all ready planning for next year, I have not planted a darn thing in the ground....but the garden dreams get bigger and bigger.

six trays times 12 sixpacks=72 sixpacks.

72 six packs times 6 cells equals 432 seedlings (or more if you put more than 1 seed in each cell). per shelf

423 cells times 3 shelves equals 1,269 cells times howevermany seeds you can put into each one.

you could prolly use the tippy top shelf for a total of 1,702 cells.

Whoosh! That's the sound of all that math flying right over my head tonight. Thanks Doris. I believe 1700 plants would be really nice.

I did get it for free. It was considered garbage since it had outlived its usefulness for retail. There are two more in the store and one I got last year working there.

I'm pretty sure the shelves are the same size. So I'm thinking for wintersowing, I can add the three shelves from the one I already have onto this one creating more space. They really don't need all that headroom. I could then use 4" containers and not have to worry about soil depth.

"They really don't need all that head room." No, not for growing. But they do need enough to get natural light. Packing shelves in densely can minimize light availability.

I have been Wsing on plastic shelving units for awhile now, to save space (going vertical!!) and to keep things tidy (cause the family complains..). Yes, the top shelves that get the very best light do usually germinate first, but really everything gets adequate light (cause light comes at different angles as the sun moves) and all seeds eventualy germinate and grow.

Good luck with your shelves; they look great!

Nan can you tell us about your setup on the plastic shelves. Are you doing them in jugs or seed trays or what? And do you cover in plastic? Do you have pics?
This is interesting.

Planning for next year? Are you nuts? I'm still deciding what else to sow this year.

I could never use plastic-covered shelving in my yard- it would be blown over in a heartbeat. Much too windy here much too often.

Karen

I am not done sowing for this year yet. I still have lots of seeds :)

I do like the shelf idea. I would go vertical if my HOA would not have a fit.

Those are nice for free. I would have taken them also!

Karen

I can only use heavy metal shelving here because of the spring winds we sometimes get. We will have gusts tomorrow of 20-30 mph. A plastic shelf not against the house would be tossed into the gully in a heartbeat.

Anyone that uses shelving for wintersowing, please, feel free to post pictures. I want to get as much advice as I can before I use it for that.

Seedmama, I understand about the light/heat issue. But since so many of my containers sprouted early this year and next year I will sow fewer perennials and about 300 annuals and veggies, I like the idea of having them all in one place without needing the hoophouse which is better suited for overwintering rooted cuttings and other things.

I'm really trying to get rid of the indoor light setup for everything except tomatoes and tender overwintered items. It's a mess and a huge hassle to keep going year round.

This year is first year I've done some shelfing WS. I have regular 36" 4 tier plastic shelves from box store. I WS in professional 72 cell trays. Top shelf trays have their own covers, rest of the shelf structure is covered in clear plastic sheet. So far seems to be working out great. Do need to watch out for moisture as ends of sunniest corners seems to be drying out faster but otherwise is easy and clean looking. Germination is somewhat uneven as sun does gets distributed more on some sides but easily remedied as I rotate trays once every week or so.
As of preparing for next year- sure, just got another order of seeds from Gardens North clearance sale. Expect few more sales on seeds locally at the end of season- those are gems not to pass up.

I'm already collecting containers for next year. I figure I might as well have the DIL's save me the empty juice containers now while the grands are still big juice drinkers. My oldest grand daughter whose almost 3 has a total meltdown if her mother throws a juice container in the recycling bin. She runs, pulls it out and reminds her mother that they need to save them for Grammies Garden. I think I have a future gardening buddy with that one! LOL

I too am thinking of next year. The deck is small and I'm even tired of it looking cluttery. I'm planning to use the area outside of the deck from the ground to the rail, length is probably 4 feet; thinking DH could build something sturdy and we could stain it to match the deck. That's the plan.

I'm glad I'm not the only one planning already for next year. It never ends, does it? I like that. Constant stress relief.

I have collected over 150 tp rolls, and I stole the shelves out of my son's room, they're like Token's. I plan on using that to cover and w/s on next year. I will not be doing quite as much next year anyway... awe crap. Who am I trying bs?

Too funny, Token. I am constantly planning for the next year's garden, usually in terms of clearing more space for planting. Have already maxed out this year's beds, and I haven't even planted out yet! There's always one more flower, one more veggie, that I just HAVE to have. . .And that doesn't even begin to cover the landscaping design plans that are constantly changing.
Since I had focused on clearing brush & saplings to make space for my garden beds over the last several years, I plunked the seedlings and plants wherever I could. Though I had considered where to place tall and short, and a few colors, the overall design still needs a LOT of work to match the vision in my head (especially after watching one too many episodes of "Gardener's Diary").
Definintely a "work in progress." :)

Rose, I used plans that I got from Better Homes and Gardens. I printed everything out for the plan that was closest to what I had in mind. Then I went through the list of plants they used, and substituted their plants, for what I sowed that was closest in color, height, etc.

Their plan called for full sun, I have a lot of shade, but I'm still hoping that the flow will be close to what I saw in that picture! They have a whole lot of plans for all kinds of garden spaces.

Here is a link that might be useful: BH&G Garden Plans

token: You call 20-30 mph a windy day? Sheesh? That's a little breeze.

If you've ever wondered, this is what 80 mph can do to flower beds

Before
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After
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As I write this, a storm is moving in and we are under a tornado watch until 11 p.m. yet again.

Karen

Ok, windy is relative, much like cold. But even our little storms (thanks to the Appalachians) can still do a little damage to plastic racks.

Token, have you ever heard of "The Windy City"? Twenty to thirty mile an hour winds, are just another breezy day out here!

Karen, that's awful! Did they all survive?

Nancy, do you also have to walk to work in the snow, uphill both ways? :)

Here is a link to my picasa photo albums where you can see my WSing containers on shelves. Most of these orginail shelves are metal, which turned out to NOT be a great idea because they became rusty. I've been using heavy duty plastic shelving this year (from Lowes and from thrift shops)and have not had a problem with them blowing over but they are quite weighed down with jugs and containers. I think some of you are in areas with much more wind than we get though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Nancy's garden and WS set up

Nan, do the plastic shelves keep water from draining away? I have a couple of those in the basement with tools and such on them. They just don't feel solid enough for me.

getting ready for next year? I will prolly find some poor plant from last year that never got planted out.

:)

I've not had any problem with drainage token - it evaporates or dries up in the sun/breeze. Theres not a lip on the shelf to hold much, so it runs off in heavy rain.

The ones I found this year are vented plastic - a sturdy open block weave. The water goes right through these. I'll put up a pick when I can get out there with my camara (the weekend probably)

Token, no, I don't have to walk to work in the snow, uphill both ways. I have to drive around the courtyard to the pool, in the blistering summer heat, (I only work in summer) in a Ford Ranger... with NO A/C! That 1/4 mile ride is just pure torture!!

I have a Ford Ranger. It has a/c. And a cd player. My drive is 2 miles. If we had more sidewalks, I'd probably walk to work.

Yeah, yeah.... so you have a/c, but I still love my truck! It has a great sound system. Just no a/c.

Nancy Drew,
I have actually checked out those BH&G plans - they are wonderful! Thanks for the link.

Karen,
Sorry to see your damage from the wind. :( So sad when that happens. Love your rock border BTW.

I'm anxious to see what came down out at the garden, as there are some huge, very old oaks there. Last time we had strong winds a smaller, dead tree came down across the old chicken coop, and right on top of an heirloom rose. Never know what I'll find. . .

Sure hope everyone fares well with this wild weather.