Cold frame gardening

[dhrynio]

Cold frame gardening (click for a full article)

Something like these:

I would love to set one of these up as well! How fun to have fresh greens in the middle of winter. I am already planning to over winter my carrots from this summer but leaving them in the garden and covering them with straw then a tarp so I can pull them out to use them as I need them. They are supposed to be really crisp and fresh this way!

 

[claudine]

It's a wonderful idea . And I love how it looks - like a green window or like a piece of spring. I need something like this in my garden!
This is also really pretty:

 

[maddie]

I have never heard of this before.. I don't think I will never need this.. with the heat out here.. I don't have to worry about plants being out in winter..
I looks like a fully enclosed green house to me.. lol

 

[dhrynio]

It does seem like a miniature greenhouse that opens from the top!! Or a terrarium! I am thinking about looking for old windows now. Our neighbors have a set up like this, but it is taller and you access it from the side. They use 6 windows around the outside (two on each side) long side up, plus one glass door on one side, then 4 at the top for the roof and some heavy plastic to cover the other sides. They grow all kinds of stuff in there. I need to get with them next spring and pick their brains!

 

[claudine]

Here is a little guide I've found:

This one is wonderful:

I'd love to have a little 'house' like this. But I'd remove the statue

 

[dhrynio]

Oh isn't that cute!! That is similar to what I was trying to describe above but bigger. I would love to build some of these, they are not only practical but so cute!

 

[claudine]

I agree, they're very cute . And I love this vintage touch they have. I'm sure something like this would look wonderful in my garden. Maybe I could build one to.. I'm pretty sure I'm not very talented at building things but who knows

 

[ChanellG]

This is adorable! I want to rush out and build one right away! I am going to start watching out for windows set out on the street again. I had two I picked up for someone and they didn't want them. They sat around for a while until the glass got broken. I wish I had seen this back then!

Danni, what I like about this one is that it just sits on your existing bed. It's so simple and practical! I have to learn more about cod frames; I think having a couple would might work out better than trying to build a green house right now.

 

[claudine]

ChanellG, it looks lovely, I know. I'm looking for windows sets too. I'm not sure if I'll be able to build something pretty, but I'll definitely try
And here is cold-frame gardening in a cute, miniature version:

 

[dhrynio]

Awww, that littel cover is so cute!! It is like a little bubble with a sweet little bouquet inside! Dang, I need to start to make more plans...and talk hubby into agreeing to let me take over more yard space.

 

[ChanellG]

Claudine and Danni I am using plastic bottles with the bottoms cut off as cloches! I'm using them indoors though, so technically they are not miniature cold frames. What I will probably do is put all my little plants on a storage bin lid and the turn the bin upside down and use that as a temporary cold frame.

It seems to be working for a bunch of people growing lettuce so my garlic and any herbs I set out should be okay. I just have to make sure that nothing gets overheated.

I think I have come up with a viable solution to give me more indoor space by the window as well. I plant to put a shelf just under the molding beneath the window's ledge. That will double my ledge space and allow me to add more herbs.

 

[Arzosah]

Oh these are absolutely beautiful! I've seen the plastic cloches, made from recycled plastic, but I've never seen such a *tall* cold frame as the one up above there. I definitely want one of the home made ones in my garden - I have a lot of old scaffolding boards, a disintegrating shed, and a *lot* of bubble wrap, in lengths of six feet or more. Thats just for the experimental phase - I can quite see that I'll probably have to buy a sheet of that double glazed plastic thats used in these situations.

I think the difference between a greenhouse and a cold frame is that a greenhouse sits on foundations of some sort, even if its just lines of concrete. But a coldframe sits directly on the soil, as far as I'm aware. I'm hoping it will extend my growing season for salad crops for maybe a month or so.

 

[ChanellG]

Hmmmm... bubble wrap; that's something to think about. I have a couple of taller plants that would not fit in a typical cold frame so I really need some kind of greenhouse solution because I don't have room to bring anything indoors.

BTW, some greenhouses are just racks with plastic covers. A cold frame is basically a frame that you use in cold weather with a lid that can be lifted to vent the area so plants don't get overheated.

 

[loopyloo]

I wonder if these would really work well all winter long. I miss my garden so much all winter long. Even a box or two of fresh greens would be such a blessing. I will need to do more research about this. We were going to build a greenhouse this year but I would have to give up so much of my garden space for one. These seem like a great alternative.

 

[ChanellG]

They seem to work great for people who know what they are doing. I think you have to be able stay on top of opening them in midmorning and closing them at night, or whenever the temperature drops enough to warrant it. If someone is doing square foot gardening in a raised bed, it's a practical solution.