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| Cold Frame Kit, Vertical Greenhouse, Hoop House |
| Cold Frame Kit, Vertical Greenhouse, Hoop House |
From "Fresh from the Garden"
episode DFFG-113 |
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To assemble a mail-order cold frame kit, you'll need a screwdriver, measuring tape and a hammer. Included in the kit are fasteners, 2 lid supports, 1 lid, front and back panel, 2 side panels, 2 side bottoms and 2 side tops. Once you have your tools handy, you're ready to get started:
- First, attach the side bottoms to the back panel using the 3/4" screws that came with the kit. There are small holes in the connectors that the screws go through. Be sure to line up the corners before you put the screws in.
- Next, attach the front panel to the side bottoms using the same technique making sure the brackets lined up correctly with the front panel, if it doesn't your lid won't fit correctly and your cold frame will be out of square.
- To put on the side panels, carefully flip over the box. Make sure you don't stress the wood when you do this or it may crack. The side panels slide into the groove on the back and front pieces. The panels go all the way in until they're flush with the bottom.
- With the panels in place, flip the cold frame back over and attach the side tops to the cold frame. They screw down just like the side bottoms. Use 2 screws per connector and tighten each one.
- Make sure these panels stay put by installing the rubberized washers and screws in the kit. They go at the top and bottom on both side panels. Only tighten the screws until they catch inside. If you over tighten it'll crush the panel.
- To install the lid to the box, attach it with the 6 - 1 1/4 inch screws that came in the kit. Before you tighten all of the screws, make sure the lid is on square and it lines up with the sides.
Vertical Greenhouse - To build a vertical 3-Tier greenhouse you don't need any tools. The greenhouse kit doesn't warm up the soil like a cold frame. Its strength is it's ability to warm up very quickly inside because of all of the heat energy it collects.
- The greenhouse kit includes: 8 shelf support connectors, 12 side risers, 9 shelf support bars, 2 roof supports, 3 shelves and one greenhouse cover. You can build this kit by yourself in under an hour. This kit is perfect for getting young seedlings ready for transplant and will fit nicely against the side of a house or garage.
- To assemble the kit, start at the bottom and assemble upward. Take 1 of the connectors and push 3 of the shelf supports into place. Take another connector and push them into the other side. Then lay a shelf across the supports and put it on the ground as your first level.
- With the bottom shelf done, add 4 risers, one in each corner. Press down until they are straight and firm. Make 2 more shelves and put them on top of the bottom self.
- Attach the two roof supports. The cover slips on over the whole frame and attaches at the bottom with these ties.
Hoop House To build a hoop house over a covered bed, you will need supplies from the plumbing department of a hardware store: PVC pipe and half-round metal brackets.To install the PVC pipes, push the pipe into the ground on both sides of the bed about a foot down and 3 feet apart. The pipes are 6' long and 1/2" thick which work well with raised beds. If your beds are wider, you will need to determine how long your pipes need to be. Use a perforated row cover plastic to cover the PVC hoops. To hold the cover in place, snap on plastic pipe clips from a gardening catalog. At the ends of the beds, fold the plastic closed like an envelope and weigh it down with a brick.
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