When you buy a greenhouse, it’s tempting to think that you’re all ready to go, but in most cases you won’t get very far with just a few potted plants standing on the floor! The first and most important of greenhouse accessories to get right is greenhouse staging. Since this is something you’ll want to keep using for the lifetime of the greenhouse, you’ll need to choose it carefully.

The first thing to consider about greenhouse staging is how much weight it can bear. You may not think of plants as being very heavy, but the soil they’re rooted in certainly is, and ornamental plant pots can also add up to quite a burden. Some commercially available greenhouse staging sadly isn’t up to coping with this. It’ll start to sag after a little while, and sometime it will collapse altogether. Obviously this isn’t a risk you’ll want to take. Suitable staging should be able to bear 100’s of pounds of weight, so check the manufacturer’s advice carefully. Even if you don’t plan to use all this capacity in the immediate term, it’ll keep your options flexible into the future.

Greenhouse staging also needs to be waterproof. The best choice for this is stainless steel, heavy grade aluminum, or composite framing. There are attractive wooden staging arrays available, but if you buy one of these you must make sure that it’s been properly treated to make it’s water resistant (not just water repellent). It’s also a good idea to re-cover staging like this with a water-repellent paint or varnish every couple of years.

Finally, make sure that the staging you buy gives you the space you need to work. This may sound obvious, but many people fail to measure properly before spending money on something which won’t fit into their greenhouse comfortably. Your staging should provide space for all your plants and greenhouse accessories (consider whether you may want a separate tier for these), but it should also leave you room to move around. If you’re disabled or have trouble bending, make sure it’s at a suitable height for working on. Make sure you’ve got room for supplies as well as for the things you plan to use immediately. Well chosen staging will be with you for a long time.