DIY ZipGrow Rack

When it comes to hydroponics, one company that I've been following is ZipGrow. They sell ZipGrow towers, which allow you to grow various crops vertically, and they have a number of configurations that you can choose from. For example, you can purchase just the towers, a commercial setup, or shipping container farm.

Having tried a 4 pack of the towers originally, they seemed to work pretty well and I wanted something mobile that I'd be able to take to the farmers market for live sales. They have a portable rack that supports 16 towers, but it's a bit pricey at close to $5,000. I liked the concept though, so I set out to see if I could build one of my own for a little bit less.

Supply List

• 16 ZipGrow Towers ($1,160.00)
• 2 submersible pumps ($50.00)
• 1/2" tubing ($14.00)
• 1/2" irrigation fittings ($20.00)
• 1/4" tubing ($20.00)
• 1/4" fittings ($12.00)
• Drip emitters ($13.00)
• 2 8' vinyl fence posts ($80.00)
• 4 5x5 vinyl fence post caps ($14.00)
• 9 2x4 ($34.00)
• 2 Casters ($60.00)
• Total: $1,477.00

Tools

• Jigsaw
• Table saw
• Drill

Building the Rack

When designing the rack, I wanted something that was similar to the ZipGrow version, but decided to make the frame out of 2x4s instead of metal. To that end, I got started with a crude drawing to figure out what I needed.

Next, I started cutting the 2x4s to the proper length. I ended up having

• 3 - 90" for supporting the reservoirs and irrigation
• 3 - 65" vertical supports,
• 3 - 24" cross pieces to attach the wheels
• 4 - 45 degree cuts for supporting the vertical 2x4s on the end

After building the base (2 - 90" pieces and 3 - 24" pieces), I began attaching the vertical supports (3 - 65") and finally the top irrigation (1 - 90"). The wheels were added next, and I finished with adding the diagonal supports.

To create the water reservoir, I marked the fence posts with a 4x6" square for the pump, and 8 - 4x4" squares for the grow racks. Spacing was 3" for the first tower, 4" for the second, and 5" for the remaining.

I then used a 1/4" bit to drill holes in each corner, and cut the squares out with a jig saw. Once the holes were cut, I attached the end caps using PVC cement and secured it to the rack using galvanized screws and rubber washers.

Once the frame was together, I drilled holes in the top 2x4 and attached some hooks that would be used to support the ZipGrow towers, and used some "U" nails to keep the irrigation in place

Conclusion

I imagine the actual ZipGrow rack is much stronger and more stable than what I made, but for about 1/3 of the price, I think my rack does pretty well. Granted, I'm not sure how well it will hold up with a lot of movement to and from the market - I haven't had the chance to do that quite yet. I can say it worked well for basil and romaine in my grow tent though!