What is a grow tray?
A hydroponic grow tray, also known as a flood table, is a container built to hold one or more plants in a hydroponic system. Some of these are designed to hold hydroponic grow media, and others are built to hold plants in net pots.
These trays are used in conjunction with a stand and a hydroponic reservoir to make up a hydroponic system. The reservoir holds a nutrient solution, and a water pump sends this into the root zone of the plant (or in the case of aeroponics, mists the root zone).
Hydroponic trays will either be listed as inside dimensions (ID) or outside dimensions (OD). When shopping for a grow tray, be sure the outside dimensions fit your grow tray stand. The inside dimensions pertain to how many plants you can actually fit inside the tray. ID trays maintain Botanicare’s standard true inside dimensions to accommodate your growing containers.
Visit our full full grow tray section for more on this topic.
Hydroponic tray stand options
Tray stands and rolling benches drastically improve working conditions in the grow room. Elevating plants using a stand prevents growers from being hunched over, and allows for more room for the hydroponic reservoir underneath.
Tray stand kits can either be vertical or horizontal. Vertical stands stack plants, and are great for saving space and seedling and propagation development. Horizontal stands are ideal for vegging and flowering plants, because they have more room to grow up and out.
Rolling Benches
Rolling benches are the new wave of grow tray stands. These allow you to maximize space in the indoor garden by up to 60%, eliminating stationary isles. By filling a large grow room or greenhouse with rolling benches, growers are able to cultivate far more plants.
Rolling benches with wheels allow growers to move an entire section of plants if necessary. For more on tray stands and rolling benches, visit the full section.
If you want to learn more about these devices, check out our full guide on grow trays and stands. If you have any questions about which grow tray and stand combo is right for you, give our experienced growing staff a call at 888-815-9763!
