2023 was the first year growing in my new basement. Even though I’ve been growing plants from seed for much of my life, I’ve never had enough space for a dedicated growing area. This was a game changer.

I wanted a peat-free seedling soil mix, and it was hard to find. I decided to try making my own and used different recipes to come up with a custom blend. I tested several rounds of seedlings in different mixes to see the results.

For my first year I grew 15 different types of zinnias from seed. I grew over 1000 seedlings and planted them out in the field after 3 weeks of growing inside.

After starting small the first year, I decided that I was tired of messing with plastic every time I needed to access the plants. I made a 10’ x 15’ simple PVC structure. I attached painters plastic for the roof and clear shower curtains for the sides. The bottom 12 inches is open so air can flow in and out of the setup.

Having a bench to mix soil, plant seeds, and store tools in an organized space is so much more fun to work in! I have two shelves for all my measuring and water containers, amendments, and gloves. I hang up all my most used tools so I can easily grab them. I keep the bottom shelf empty so when I’m woking I have plenty of space to put things while I’m woking.

I was able to get hot and cold water, and more importantly, be able to drain it away. I used a sump pump, plastic tub as a catch basin, and a step on/off switch to get the water up into the drain. While not perfect, it’s just what I need and having running water feels like a true luxury! Also having more shelves to store all my soil ingredients is great too.