My New Cold Frame!

BrianS · January 10, 2009

Just got my cold frame yesterday. Its 8ft long. I cant wait to try it out. Never used one before so I guess this will be a trial and hopefully not too many errors learning experience. I am hoping that I can start putting seedlings in it sometime in March
I have it sitting where it will get a good Southern Sun early this Spring

An inside shot

**Mischka** · January 11, 2009

Very nice. Did you buy it locally or order it?

BrianS · January 11, 2009

I bought it locally. Probably paid too much for it but with work and all I just dont have time right now to build one. Still I think its a good investment. I will have to experiment until I can figure what and what not to do. Hopefully I wont kill plants before I figure this all out LOL!

Worth1 · January 11, 2009

With work and all just make sure your not too busy to prop the lid open a little to let out hot air.

These things can reach way over 100 temps with the out side air at only 40 or so.

A thermometer is a must as far as I'm concerned.
Also maybe a heat light for those cold nights.

Worth

Medbury Gardens · January 12, 2009

A light in side on cold nights would work or cover with woolen blanket,i don`t need to now days but i used to use straw bales set in squares with clear plastic on the top and then on heavy frost nights i would throw over two or three blankets, but it worked well.

BrianS · January 13, 2009

I obviously need to insulate it better. I set a pot in it with lettuce seeds just to experiment but every morning the soil has been frozen lol

Medbury Gardens · January 13, 2009

Some thin sheet polystyrene on this inside of the timber will help also

Penny · January 14, 2009

Looks great, good luck with it.

dcarch · January 14, 2009

I would definitely insulate with ½” foam board all around. Not very expensive to do.

Looking at the shape, It doesn't look like much sunlight can get to the seedlings/plants. You may want to put reflectors or mirrors on the back wall.

If you really want to make things work, try using clear corrugated panels to cover the soil outside about 24” all around. The solar heat will warm up the soil and the clear panels will insulate. This will keep the soil from getting frozen.

Insulate the aluminum frames will also help.

None of these will cost you too much money or too much work, and you only need to do it once for many years’ use. Will make a big difference.

dcarch

BrianS · January 16, 2009

Good ideas dcarch. We are really in the deep freeze now! Its 10F this morning. As soon it gets past the freezing mark and I can stand to be outside to work on it lol

Raymondo · January 18, 2009

Looks good. What wood was used in construction? And is that polyflute on top?

Polar_Lace · January 20, 2009

This an Idea to insulate your cold frame:

You could also put bales of hay that are still tied together inside to Lift your seedlings up to a new height, so they could get more sun.

Penny · January 21, 2009

What a great idea using the hay!!

BrianS · January 23, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raymondo

Looks good. What wood was used in construction? And is that polyflute on top?

It says its a double wall polycarbonate

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polar_Lace

This an Idea to insulate your cold frame:

You could also put bales of hay that are still tied together inside to Lift your seedlings up to a new height, so they could get more sun.

Thanks for that

Polar_Lace · January 23, 2009

Sssssiiisss allllrite.....

~* Robin

January 10, 2009	#1
BrianS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 96	My New Cold Frame! Just got my cold frame yesterday. Its 8ft long. I cant wait to try it out. Never used one before so I guess this will be a trial and hopefully not too many errors learning experience. I am hoping that I can start putting seedlings in it sometime in March I have it sitting where it will get a good Southern Sun early this Spring An inside shot __________________ Hook 'em Horns!

January 11, 2009	#2
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	Very nice. Did you buy it locally or order it? __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

January 11, 2009	#3
BrianS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 96	I bought it locally. Probably paid too much for it but with work and all I just dont have time right now to build one. Still I think its a good investment. I will have to experiment until I can figure what and what not to do. Hopefully I wont kill plants before I figure this all out LOL! __________________ Hook 'em Horns!

January 13, 2009	#6
BrianS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 96	I obviously need to insulate it better. I set a pot in it with lettuce seeds just to experiment but every morning the soil has been frozen lol __________________ Hook 'em Horns!

January 14, 2009	#9
dcarch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: NY Posts: 2,618	I would definitely insulate with ½” foam board all around. Not very expensive to do. Looking at the shape, It doesn't look like much sunlight can get to the seedlings/plants. You may want to put reflectors or mirrors on the back wall. If you really want to make things work, try using clear corrugated panels to cover the soil outside about 24” all around. The solar heat will warm up the soil and the clear panels will insulate. This will keep the soil from getting frozen. Insulate the aluminum frames will also help. None of these will cost you too much money or too much work, and you only need to do it once for many years’ use. Will make a big difference. dcarch __________________ tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato tomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomatomato matomato

January 11, 2009	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	With work and all just make sure your not too busy to prop the lid open a little to let out hot air. These things can reach way over 100 temps with the out side air at only 40 or so. A thermometer is a must as far as I'm concerned. Also maybe a heat light for those cold nights. Worth

January 12, 2009	#5
Medbury Gardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Medbury, New Zealand Posts: 1,881	A light in side on cold nights would work or cover with woolen blanket,i don`t need to now days but i used to use straw bales set in squares with clear plastic on the top and then on heavy frost nights i would throw over two or three blankets, but it worked well.

January 14, 2009	#8
Penny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 948	Looks great, good luck with it.

January 16, 2009	#10
BrianS Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 96	Good ideas dcarch. We are really in the deep freeze now! Its 10F this morning. As soon it gets past the freezing mark and I can stand to be outside to work on it lol __________________ Hook 'em Horns!

January 18, 2009	#11
Raymondo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Saumarez Ponds, NSW, Australia Posts: 946	Looks good. What wood was used in construction? And is that polyflute on top? __________________ Ray

January 20, 2009	#12
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	This an Idea to insulate your cold frame: You could also put bales of hay that are still tied together inside to Lift your seedlings up to a new height, so they could get more sun. __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

January 21, 2009	#13
Penny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 948	What a great idea using the hay!!

January 23, 2009	#15
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Sssssiiisss allllrite..... ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.