How to Design a Cold Frame
Cold frames are usually built in the spring to house and protect young plants as they begin their growth in the new season. These frames have a glass or clear plastic top that pops open on hot, sunny days and are designed to sit over the young seedlings as they emerge from the ground. It is also possible to nurture seeds grown from pots or trays instead of placing them directly in the ground. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- List of materials
- Tape measure
- Pencil and paper
- Layout of the land that surrounds your house
Instructions
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Designing the Frame
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1
Select your covering for the cold frame. Glass is preferred, but clear poly can also be used in many cases. Another popular option is using extra windows from your home (especially storm windows) and building the frame to fit. Using two pieces of glass or clear poly is a good decision, especially in the colder climates, where spring temperatures can still drop below freezing at night.
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2
The top of the frame needs to be hinged so it can be opened on hot days and then left closed tight at times when the weather is cool or cloudy. The top frame needs to be sturdy and waterproof. This means that you might have to glaze or caulk any glass that is present. If using clear poly, you can wrap the material around the top and bottom of the frame and attach the material to the side with furring strips.
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3
Plan the base to fit tightly around the glass top. Remember that the top of the cold frame has to be sloped to shed water (10 to 15 degrees is recommended). Also, calculate the height from the ground to the top of the frame (18 inches is a good off-the-cuff figure). The bottom base is usually made from wood. This is a good place to save money by using found materials or rough-cut lumber. And finally, because the top frame is angled, it will have slightly larger dimensions than the base.
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4
Determine exactly where you want to place your cold frame. Look at soil conditions, available daytime sunlight, and possibilities of overnight frost. It is possible that some of this information might affect the overall size of the cold frame.
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Tips & Warnings
Using found or recycled materials is a good idea when making a cold frame.
Cold frames can be designed to fit around a window of your house. These types of frames are mainly used for starting flats of seedlings.
Clear plastic should be attached to the top of the wood frame with furring strips and small nails that are driven through the strips of wood.
Cold frames can also be used in the fall to extend the growing season of greens.
Building a top part of the frame from just glass and wood involves a lot of work and skill to prevent the glass from breaking.
