About Our Greenhouse Staging
Staging is the workbench of a greenhouse. It gets your pots off a cold floor and brings seed trays up to a height you can actually work at. You also gain a whole second layer of growing space above the bench. We keep 20 units in stock, covering freestanding shelving, integral cantilever staging, seed tray frames and potting benches. Prices run from £45 to £179. Nearly all of it is aluminium or polypropylene, which is the point: timber staging rots in a year or two of greenhouse damp.
You are really choosing between two families. Freestanding shelving and benches stand on the floor and suit any greenhouse. Integral cantilever staging is different: it bolts straight to the glazing bars of an Elite or Vitavia frame and has no legs at all, so the floor underneath stays free for grow bags. If you do a lot of potting up, add a potting bench alongside it.
Why We Chose This Range
"We push cantilever staging for a reason we only learned from fitter visits. Freestanding legs slowly sink into a gravel or soil floor across a season, and then the bench tips out of level and your trays drain to one corner. Cantilever staging hangs off the frame instead, so it stays put. That said, if your greenhouse has a paved or glass floor I would just buy freestanding aluminium. It costs less and you can shift it whenever you want."
— Matt, Founder of Greenhouse Stores💡 Tip: Stand your staging down the shaded side and leave the sunny side for tall crops like tomatoes. Seedlings then get steady light off the bench without getting scorched through the glass.
🔧 Matt's Installation Tip: Watch the tier weight
A tier rated to 25kg holds a lot less than it looks once everything is watered. One seed tray comes in around 4kg soaked, so five of them and a light shelf is at its limit. Heavy potted plants belong on the bottom; keep the trays up top.
Greenhouse staging compared
| Type | Best for | Fit | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium shelf | Extra storage, lean-to gaps | Freestanding or wall | £55 |
| Seed tray frame, 3-tier | Raising seedlings | Freestanding | £129 |
| Cantilever staging | Main bench, no legs | Elite or Vitavia bars | ask us |
| Elite potting bench ⭐ Matt's Pick | Potting up, used all year | Freestanding | £179 |
Frequently asked questions
What is greenhouse staging?
It is shelving or benching built for a greenhouse. The job is to raise pots and seed trays off the cold floor to a working height, which protects roots, improves light, and frees up growing room. We sell freestanding and integral cantilever types.
Will staging fit my greenhouse?
Freestanding staging fits anything. Cantilever staging does not, because it bolts onto Elite or Vitavia glazing bars, so check which frame you have before you order. It also helps to measure your clear wall run.
How much weight can greenhouse staging hold?
Ratings sit between 25kg and 200kg a tier. Remember a watered seed tray is roughly 4kg. The safe habit is heavy pots low down, trays higher up, and nothing crammed onto a single light shelf.
Is aluminium or wooden staging better?
In a damp greenhouse, aluminium wins easily. It will not rot, warp, or give pests somewhere to hide, which is exactly what happens to untreated timber. That is why every unit here is aluminium or polypropylene.
Can I leave staging up all year?
Yes, ours is made to stay put through winter. The aluminium and polypropylene do not mind the cold or the damp. Plenty of growers still slide the freestanding units aside in summer to make room for tomatoes.
What is the difference between staging and a potting bench?
Staging holds plants at height; a potting bench is where you actually work. A bench has a raised back and a tray to keep the compost in one place. Most keen growers end up with both.
Need Help Choosing?
Call our team free on 0800 098 8877