How to Grow Vegetables in a Cold Frame
Ever desire to grow vegetables in your garden during the cold season? You could be serving a delicious fresh salad with your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Making this possible is easy when you install a cold frame on your property. Cold frames harness the sun's energy help warm up the air inside the space. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Assorted lumber (2-by-2s, 2-by-4s, or 2-by-6s work best)
- 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting
- Greenhouse zipper door
- Box fan
- Staple gun
- Cordless drill
- Circular saw or hand saw
- Staples
- 2 1/2-inch wood screws
Instructions
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1
Locate a place on your property to site your cold frame. Southern exposures work best as you can harness the sun best.
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2
Construct the framework. Put vertical wood supports at most 24 inches apart. Horizontal supports for the ceiling should ideally be 16 inches or less apart. Slope the ceiling from back to front to allow water runoff from rain. The floor shouldn't need any framework as you will want bare soil to plant in. Leave a spot in front for your greenhouse zipper door.
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3
Roll out your polyethylene plastic and staple it to the outside of your frame. Staple it all the way around your walls. Staple it on top of the roof and overlap the walls slightly. Staple the overlap to the walls. This will aid in making your cold frame more airtight.
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4
Install your greenhouse zipper door. Consult instructions for the particular door you purchased.
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5
Work up your soil and plant your vegetable seeds. Water thoroughly and keep a regular watering schedule. Plants will not be able to receive any rainfall in your cold frame since they will be enclosed. Fertilize and weed the garden as needed.
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6
Place a box fan in the enclosure for air circulation. This will combat any fungus you might get from lack of airflow.
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7
Harvest your vegetables and enjoy your extended growing season!
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Tips & Warnings
On warm days, open the zipper door. Excessive heat built up will result in stunted plants or possibly plant death.
On cold nights, wrap your cold frame with insulating blankets. A small electric heater may be used in combination with the insulating blankets to keep your plants from freezing.
