Been toying with the idea of making a cold frame for the back yard. Anyone have experience and advice for building/using one?
Got some to share? Nevermind, I found some. Never seriously considered a cold frame, but I have some large double-pane windows coming out, who knows?
That's one of the same reasons I'm looking at it too. Have several windows available to me from a demo job.
There are so many uses for a cold frame. I have had them in the past. Some so simple. Like bales of spoiled hay laid out in a square and an old storm window on top. Just have to remember to move the window open some when the sun is out or everything will cook. They are great for extending the season and for early starts. If you put it up in the fall, lay black plastic on the ground inside it. It will absorb the heat and make the round warmer and get you off to any early start. Some of the best tomatoes I ever started we started in the cold frame. If you make it of wood. Line the inside wall with gallon milk bottles, spray painted black and filled with water. They will give heat back during the cold nights. Just remember, you have to be available to open and close a cold frame or you will loose your crop.
Some others do well also, Kale, other cool crop greens. Don't even bother with things that are tender for fall crops. There isn't enough daylight to deal with that.
You can dig down in the frame and line the ground floor and sides with foam, also put in some wire cloth around the inside to about a foot down to stop vermin from coming in for lunch. Replace all the soil inside you frame with good compost. Remember, it is all about controlling the environment. Your free windows are window of opportunity.
Thanks Saves...I was hoping someone would save me from having to ask the stupid question!! I now know what a cold frame is!
No such thing as a stupid question on this forum. You don't know until you ask or look it up. I tend to do both nearly every day. I love the challenge of looking into things.
Back in the day Cold Frames were really Urban Farming. Its a trendy word today, but back in the old days, people would go around and shovel up the horse manure off the road, mix in straw and build cold frames. Then with this free heat and nutrient source, raise veggies that they sold to patrons on the street. Kind of the precursor's to street vendors. It really worked well, it cleaned up the streets, gave poor people a means to make some money, and fed a hungry city. The only thing stupid about this thread is that I have ample sheep manure, the equipment, tools and everything, and yet I AM too stupid to do it. I do grow a garden, but for a family of six, and what I have for resources, it should be a lot bigger.
Ventilation, ventilation, ventilation. Can get a little tiresome going down everyday and opening the window on sunny days.
Chest freezers and even refrigerators flipped on their back work well. I have 3 I use every year to start cukes and tomatoes.Also start Romaine and spinach in March/April and after they are well started just take the window off. I walk by them every morning going to my truck so it's easy to remember to prop a 2x4 under the glass if the forecast calls for a warm day.
