Shelving Units & "Mini Greenhouses" for growing indoors. Advice?

[Ray]

Originally Posted by estación seca

PS Ray is a chemist.

No. Technically, I'm a ceramist and ceramic engineer, but I did spend most of my career in the chemical industry.

[emmajs243]

What!!???? Ray is a chemist!?! I thought he was an engineer for some reason!!! Oh man! Totally just became so much more awesome in my book! I love my fellow Chemists!!!! Well thank you ES for clearing THAT one up!! Goodness! Chemistry rocks! I just love it!

And Ray! So sorry for not having those dimensions to you yet! My wonderful pups decided to eat the nearly new bag of glucosamine/chondroitin joint supplement/treats I buy for them so my day was spent wrestling them both down Sunday night and forcing hydrogen peroxide down their throats and waiting for the vomiting to begin.....Yes, very enjoyable weekend. But today I woke to find more vomit with blood so the vet advised I stay home and monitor them (especially since we didn't know WHICH dog had the blood so what? Pump both dogs stomachs!?) Yes....very enjoyable Monday too! They both seem to be back to normal this evening though...*fingers crossed* so as long as they don't have any more surprises for me tomorrow morning, I will get my shelving unit and have the dimensions for you! I am pretty positive I know them but would prefer to not waste your time with a guess!

[Paphluvr]

The beauty of the shelves that Ray illustrated is that they are adjustable by approx. 1" increments. Depending on where you set the wedges and the number of shelves you install, the distance between shelves is up to you. And unless I installed mine incorrectly, on at least one of my units of this design the shelf reinforcement faces up giving the shelf a small railing. I use mine for storing canned goods in my pantry and cut Plexiglass to fit the shelves.

[WaterWitchin]

I use oversized boot trays on mine. They're about 2" deep, and just cover the shelf. I need another, so when I figure out where I got them I'll let you know.

Okay, found 'em. Here's what they look like from an old picture


and here's where I got them (except off a wholesale site back from the store days).

https://www.amazon.com/Gardeners-Sup...bber+boot+tray

[emmajs243]

Thank you guys for the help! GEESH EVERYBODY has the shelves!!!! I shouldn't of even bothered trying to decide on my own and just asked you guys to begin with and save the time!!

SO nice to know they are adjustable Paphluvr! I am sure I would have figured it out when I grab them Here in a couple of hours but one of my worries was the height between shelves since....YOU know, all orchids vary!!

And waterwitchin!!!! GREAT idea!!! That is EXACTLY what I have been trying to think of is at least some type of tray that would be large enough to fit the entire shelf size so I can put it at least on the ground underneath the unit to protect my floors! Totally didn't even think four of the box like boot trays!!!!

And Ray! Your still totally awesome in my book! I am always constantly amazed by all the different STEM disciplines out there! I didn't even know there was such a thing as a "ceramist" or "ceramist engineer"!! Just blows my mind the job variety you can find now a days!!

[Ray]

I found that I could put four standard "perma-nest" nursery trays (22" x 11") perpendicular to those shelves, with the flanges overlapping, meaning that they stuck out a few inches to the front and back of the shelf, increasing the growing space available.

[emmajs243]

Ohhhhhh!!!!!! SUPER nice!!!! I may have to get a boot tray for the very very bottom and get these to line the shelves with!!!

And my dimensions ARE! Exactly what I thought they were BUT! 18" deep, 42" wide and 72 inches tall! My shelves are home!

Now if only the darn weather would warm up for me to put my next orchid order in and fill them up!!!

Man! Don't you love being able to profit from others knowledge and ideas!!?

[WaterWitchin]

I have one big tray on each shelf, because they're in S/H and each tray is drilled. A piece of pipe goes through each tray down to next tray, and final pipe goes through a hole in the floor into my basement where it flows into a basement drain. So I water all in place instead of having to take on and off tray.





Old pics, now modified because I also have a tray on bottom. Before, I used to have a large pot on bottom shelf that caught the water and I reused it on houseplants. Also each drain section now sits up higher, so more water stays in the trays for extra humidity.

[Dollythehun]

Nice set up! Clear boot trays?

[emmajs243]

Nooooo! They are black boot trays...right???? Dolly, on page 1 she posted the link for the boot trays you got if you want to look on them!

And WOW waterwitchin! That is IMPRESSIVE!!!!!! I am in the process of swapping to s/h....So, do you do the regular s/h setup of a pot with 2 holes on the side to create a reservoir and then just have the water in the trays for humidity? Or are your trays your s/h reservoir?