Under-Lit Rack for Growing Plants

This beautiful plant display rack will brighten up your living space to keep your plants, and your heart, happy :).

Powered by efficient LEDs and wired to an outlet timer, this rack doubles as decoration as well as a space to grow edible microgreens. Plant racks like these have added character to the apartments i've lived in. I hope they will for you too.

Metrics:

• Produces ~13,000 lumens total (240 total LEDs x 55 lumens/LED)
• Consumes 44 Watts total

Here's a list of all materials you need. The total for the project came out to be ~$105, at the time of writing this. Though some items come with more than you need for 1 rack (LED strips, zip ties, connectors, wire). So you could make 2 racks for $170 total (which I did).

1. 63" 5-tier adjustable wire shelving rack: https://www.ebay.com/itm/294859405069 ($44)
2. LED strips (7020 SMD, double row, 50cm): https://www.ebay.com/itm/154441909441?var=454510365968 ($24)
3. 12V 3A DC power supply: https://www.ebay.com/itm/185208354274?var=692965721759 ($7)
4. Zip ties: https://www.ebay.com/itm/304750081105 ($8.60)
5. Outlet timer: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284667344522?var=586302210667 ($12)
6. Wiring terminal connectors: https://www.ebay.com/itm/303216387104 ($2.60)
7. 20 gauge wire: https://www.ebay.com/itm/353536150388 ($5.40)

And for the tools, you'll need:

• A wire stripper (can find for $7).
• A small phillips head screw driver (can also get a set of these for $7).

There are usually intructions given with any metal storage rack. You'll need to fix small plastic pieces to the vertical metal bars and slip the horizontal metal wire platform down from the top.

Strip the ends of the wires attached to the LED light bars. Avoid cutting into the wire itself.

Then, clamp in the exposed ends of the wires into the wire terminal connectors (as in the picture).

Repeat for 4 LED strips.

Fix the LED bars to the middle bottom of each platform (except the bottom one. Four total) using the zip ties.

This can be a bit tricky. For each platform, I first fixed two zip ties to each end. Then I carefully slipped the LED bar, facing down, through the zip tie - almost to the end - then slipped it through the zip tie loop on the other end.

Cut about 1 foot of wire and strip the ends with the wire stripper. Repeat this three times (you should have 4 total).

Using this wire, connect the LED wire terminals to each other IN PARALLEL!!! Not series. If you're not sure what this means, please read: https://www.diffen.com/difference/Parallel_Circuit_vs_Series_Circuit

Use the small screwdriver to loosed up the wire-to-power-supply connector. This thing comes with some power supplies, but not all. Make sure to check that you have one. It makes wiring MUCH cleaner (trust me, I've learned the hard way).

Fit the end of the LED-connected wires into the power supply connector and tighen the little screws.

Moment of truth! - Plug in the power supply to the wall outlet and connect that to the LEDs. BEAUTIFUL LIGHT!

You can now add your outlet timer between the wall outlet and the power supply. I usually set mine to turn on at 7am and off at 9pm.

While I love this project, it is yet to be determined whether my plants like it or not. I'll update this with a picture of my plants after a few months.

Enjoy everyone :)