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Jan 8, 2014 3:32 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Well, now that I've finished putting together my HFGH I'm ready to contemplate tables for my plants. I've seen lots of great ideas out there but I haven't settled on exactly what I want to do.

I've seen a lot of people use purchased shelving that is metal coated with white plastic, kind of like what you might use in a laundry room.

I've seen others use yaffa blocks.

Some people have really gone all out and built their own slatted tables, supported on 4x4 beams concreted into the ground.

Any thoughts from the ATP members?
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Jan 8, 2014 3:51 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Grantville, GA (Zone 8a)
Greenhouse Region: Georgia Garden Sages Organic Gardener Beekeeper Vegetable Grower
Seed Starter Cut Flowers Composter Keeper of Poultry Keeps Goats Avid Green Pages Reviewer
All I can say is, I was in a hurry so I haven't gotten any farther than purchased black plastic shelving and odds and ends shelving I had hanging around. I love the benches some people have made but I find myself cramming in more plants than I really should so I like the multi tiered shelving units. I would be at a loss if I could only have one level of shelves.
Avatar for Frillylily
Jan 8, 2014 3:57 PM CST
Missouri (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Identifier
Well I guess it depends on how snazzy you want it to look vs functional, and how much you want to spend. You could stack milk crates and run wire or boards across those?
You could use concrete block with timbers, our local hardware store did that with their green house. I have a neighbor up the road here that has a green house and plants only in the soil, says it stays warmer that way vs lifting the plants up. I kept a bunch of light weight pots on a heavy plastic folding banquet table one year just because that's what I had around to use.
Avatar for Frillylily
Jan 8, 2014 4:00 PM CST
Missouri (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Identifier
you may also consider using PVC pipe to frame up some "tables" and run your shelving on that whatever you choose to use.
What about using the 4x8 sheets of concrete house siding? I don't know if that would be water resistant long term or not or how pricey that would be. Sometimes you can find things at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. I guess if your area has one.
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Jan 9, 2014 9:39 AM CST
Name: mj
Central Florida
Butterflies Region: Florida Keeps Horses Hummingbirder Garden Ideas: Level 2 Plant and/or Seed Trader
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge)
In one of ours we used Closet maid shelving, mostly purchased at garage sales and thrift stores. We had to buy a few pieces new, most mounting pieces, I like it as I can adjust it. It cleans up easily, provides drainage and lets light thru.
God gave us wings. He just called them horses
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Jan 9, 2014 10:14 AM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Closet maid! Yes, that's what I was thinking of when I described the white shelving above.

My current thinking is to make something like mudhouse made at http://hfgh10x12.blogspot.com/

Scroll down a ways and you'll see. It has closet made shelving on the top and then below is a really nice wooden slatted benches in a keyhole configuration. I love the concept. Showing the photo below but the above linked page has the whole story.

Thumb of 2014-01-09/dave/a7dbf0
Avatar for Frillylily
Jan 9, 2014 10:22 AM CST
Missouri (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Identifier
if you were going cheap, you might be able to pick up some shipping pallets and incorporate those somehow.
You could use a sprayer or roller to coat your wooden creations with Thompsons water seal or similar product, might help the wood last longer.
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Jan 9, 2014 11:51 AM CST
Name: Arlene
Grantville, GA (Zone 8a)
Greenhouse Region: Georgia Garden Sages Organic Gardener Beekeeper Vegetable Grower
Seed Starter Cut Flowers Composter Keeper of Poultry Keeps Goats Avid Green Pages Reviewer
I absolutely love what mudhpuse did but my DH is now 80 yr. old so that's not gonna happen. But it is gorgeous, and the sink area! Wow!
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Jan 9, 2014 12:04 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Yeah that sink area is unbelievable. I wish I had those skills! That's real art there.
Avatar for Frillylily
Jan 9, 2014 1:08 PM CST
Missouri (Zone 6a)
I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Plant Identifier
Oh, I totally love the mosaic. which would have took me 9 lives to complete

The shade cloth stuff is interesting, I may have to look into that myself.
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Jan 9, 2014 2:45 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Mosaic is not as difficult as you think. I did Mosaic on a large table top to match the outdoor counter. You can get FREE broken tiles from any tile store. They have no use for broken yikes but you do! Break them up with a hammer, place on top of a templet of you design. Then transfer to $6 Mastic spread on your surface. Then grout over it. .
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
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Jan 9, 2014 3:06 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I'll do that one day. Smiling

Now, I've written out the graphics for my greenhouse. Including it below:

Thumb of 2014-01-09/dave/bda0f0

The bottom of the image is the door to the 10x12 HFGH. The right side is the south side.

As you can see, I have replicated the bench system from the mudhouse blog. A starter plug tray is 11"x22" so I calculate that I can put 33 trays in this system. That doesn't figure in a second level, which I am planning to add.
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Jan 9, 2014 3:27 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Grantville, GA (Zone 8a)
Greenhouse Region: Georgia Garden Sages Organic Gardener Beekeeper Vegetable Grower
Seed Starter Cut Flowers Composter Keeper of Poultry Keeps Goats Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Looks like a fantastic plan! And with a second level, you should have more than enough shelving space.
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Jan 9, 2014 3:27 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I agree
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Jan 9, 2014 3:48 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
Good plan! A second level is smart!
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
Image
Jan 9, 2014 4:08 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
And we'll be able to put plants on the ground under the benches, too.
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Jan 9, 2014 5:22 PM CST
Name: Cheryl
North of Houston TX (Zone 9a)
Region: Texas Greenhouse Plant Identifier Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Plumerias Ponds
Foliage Fan Enjoys or suffers hot summers Tropicals Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages Million Pollinator Garden Challenge
How warm it's it inside without extra insulation,@dave?
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love Truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you Smile.
Image
Jan 9, 2014 5:38 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
It feels the same in as out. But I'm not running a heater and the sun hasn't shone since I finished the greenhouse!
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Jan 13, 2014 8:10 AM CST
Name: Jeff
Perry Iowa (Zone 5a)
Wow plan looks great Dave... Would love to see some pics. Also curious on your air flow plans with haveing a second level?
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Jan 13, 2014 8:16 AM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
I'm going to put two fans in somewhere, both facing opposite directions and situated opposite each other so that there's a nice 'whirlwind' effect of air movement.

I have evolved my plans on the benches. Here's my current thinking:

Thumb of 2014-01-13/dave/64a6b4

On the top left is my AQUAPONICS project! How could I forget that? So my fish tank and grow bed setup is right around 4'x4' in size.

Then I've got the benches on the right just like before. I've already set the 6 4x4 posts in concrete and will soon continue the work. I'll take pictures soon.

My dad is in town visiting and he loves the greenhouse. He thought I paid thousands for it and was astounded at how low cost this is. He's now planning on getting one for himself. Smiling

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