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Garden Gate:  Cold Frames  |
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JoyIowa
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Joy
273 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 3:12:04 PM
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Anybody have any successful cold frame experiences they could share? What yours is built from, when do you set it up, what do you grow in it, etc.
Thanks!
Joy
To live without farm life is merely existing, to live with farm life is living life to it very last experience. |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 4:13:58 PM
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My cold frames need to be reinforced this fall. They're made out of tamarack grown on our farm and milled by a friend. The walls aren't thick enough to retain heat in December in Maine. I'm going to add to them to make the walls 2" thick. I need to put new glass on one of them. I'm going to experiment with them this winter. One will go in the greenhouse with a soil mix to grow in. The second will go in the hoop house on regular garden soil. I'll grow directly in the ground for as long as possible. I want to see which is more productive. In the afternoon I'll throw a blanket over the top and remove it in the morning. I'm going to grow cold weather greens in them. I usually don't grow in them until late winter. I need to keep at it this year to find out what they'll really do.
I'd like to build a third coldframe to leave outside on a garden to experiment with that. I don't think it will keep growing as long as the others but it's worth a try.
Robin
www.thymeforewe.com |
Edited by - ThymeForEweFarm on Aug 10 2005 4:15:17 PM |
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Julia
True Blue Farmgirl
1949 Posts
Julia
Shelton
WA
USA
1949 Posts |
Posted - Aug 10 2005 : 5:11:01 PM
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Thanks, Robin, I like the idea of experimenting with the different types. Gives me good food for thought. I was thinking of a hoop house after reading about them in MJ"s new book. We live in a mild climate, but wet in the winter,so keeping greens in the open would turn to slime. I also want to try carrots, and see how long I can grow tomatoes too. It will be fun trying. I have such a hard time paying big bucks for lettuce in the winter, so we will see. Thanks again! Simply, Julia
"The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our reach is joy. Take joy!" Fr.Giovanni |
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ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 06:01:47 AM
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We have the hoop house for wintering our orchids.
I have a cold frame I made from an old frosted shower door and leftover cypress. Being as we are way down south here, I haven't had to insulate it except a couple years back when I put milk jugs of warm water against the front wall, then left them as solarinsulators. I also designed it to be made with bolts so we can dissassemble the wood to save it from rot in the summer.
I grew up in Kentucky and we used to dig this like casket size hole and load it with straw and manure and then topdressed it w/pottingsoil and mulch, my Daddy said this was a soil temperature heater...with an heavy insulated box, would this work in Maine? Ellen |
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JoyIowa
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Joy
273 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 09:09:56 AM
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Ellen, What a great idea! How deep does it have to be?
Thanks!
Joy
If it's not illegal, unsafe, or immoral, why not try anything once? Who knows? You may come back for a second helping! |
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ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 10:36:09 AM
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Hey Joy!
We dug it a little more than 2'. How is the digging? Are you going to put it up against the south side of a barn/house? We mixed over a foot of manure with say 10%straw and shoveled in like another half foot of soil to top. Are you going to use chicken or horse manure? Best part is this bed makes the richest dressing to top off for your next year. Ellen |
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 11:06:29 AM
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I built a cold frame with just 1 by 2 inch lumber based on a pattern from a chinese style gardening book. It is 10 inches tall in front and 14 inches tall in back and 4 feet wide. It is all put together with screws and covered with heavy frosted plastic. The top is also covered with the same plastic. I have it over a 4 inch deep layer of sand and I plant starts in little pots. place them inside and after a few weeks have well rooted cuttings. Next year I am going to see if I can start my salad greens earlier in it. I am also thinking about using it to keep kale and other greens going for a late fall early winter salad. This is the 5th year I have used it and I did have to recover it this summer. I use a piece of shade cloth over it on the hot sunny days and open it during the day for a few hours if the things inside are not too tender. Right now I have about 50 starts from my cecile de brunner climing rose rooting. Most are growing new leaves now and seem to be doing very well so I should be able to plant a long row of this rose for harvesting to make pottpouri.
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
Edited by - Eileen on Aug 11 2005 12:03:12 PM |
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 11:13:23 AM
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Eileen, this sounds like my scale. Can you remember the name of the book so I can see if I can find it? Thanks! p.s. Good to hear from you again!
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Aug 11 2005 : 12:17:37 PM
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Clare,
It was a book the size and shape of the paperback sunset books but was not a sunset book. I got it at the library and think it was called Creating raised garden beds the chinese way or something like that. It was written here in the pacific northwest and the garden featured was in the Seattle area. It was fabulous so I have one raised bed done this way. Someday I will have more.
I think in the photo group I posted about the vermiculture boxes I have there is a photo of the cold frame next to the newly refilled worm box. The cold frame was really quite simple. You build 3 rectangles from 1 by 2 lumber to the dimensions that you need. Mine is 4 feet wide by 3 feet front to back. Then you attach 14 inch long pieces of 1 by 2 to the back of the frame between the two rectangles and 10 inch pieces of 1 by 2 to the front in the same way. You attach another piece of 1 by 2 in the center of the top for support. Your third rectangle becomes the lid. After all is constructed you staple the plastic on the outside of the sides and over the roof piece. I never put hinges on mine but you can hinge the top to the frame and use a stick to hold the lid open while you work in it. I find it easier to just take the lid off.
If I remember the name of the book I will edit this post,
Happy cold framing!
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2006 : 7:50:31 PM
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Okay, i'm reviving an old post here. i'm just wondering if the frames have to face the south or would i be okay having them face the west? it's just the best place i have to build them as far as our layout. i want to put them up against our barn.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it's time to pause and reflect." -Mark Twain
http://ljrenterprises.blogspot.com/ |
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JoyIowa
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Joy
273 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 04:59:21 AM
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I don't know if straight west would provide enough light, SW would be better.
Robin, Are we on for the school garden journal? I'm ready when you are!
Have a wonderful day all!
Joy
If it's not illegal, unsafe, or immoral, why not try anything once? Who knows? You may come back for a second helping! |
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 06:00:04 AM
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Joy, I sent an email yesterday. I'm ready!
Robin
www.thymeforewe.com
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Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2006 : 08:45:27 AM
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It may have been on a video called "The Greening of Cuba that I watched recently that the topic of cold frames came up. In it there was a cold frame that had at one end a 55 gallon plastic drum painted black full of water laid on its side to absorb solar heat and keep things in the cold frame warm enough on cold nights. This particular cold frame had a lid that had half moon cut from plywood at each end and this was covered with rigid plastic sheeting to allow for a taller growing space. I am considering building one of these this year as a test for winter greens for winter gardening. I think it will work right up until we get the few weeks of deep freeze we get here.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
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Garden Gate: Cold Frames |
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Cold Frames
