| Think of a Cold Frame as a Mini Greenhouse |
Master gardener Joe Lamp'l, host of Fresh from the Garden, extols the virtues of cold frames for use as mini greenhouses.
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Cold frames are a wonderful technique for providing additional protection in the early spring or late fall, and potentially year-round in some areas of the country. Think of a cold frame as a mini-greenhouse.
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By Joe Lamp'l
Nov. 5, 2007 — Shhh! Don't tell anyone but I think I'm on to something. Just the other day I was looking for a way to take care of a couple of flats of plants while I'll be away from the garden for a week. And these aren't just any plants, by the way. They could be the potential stars of my new garden. The problem was that I couldn't leave them unattended and unprotected in the garden for that long. Can't risk that! Too much could happen. But, if I take them home, I really don't have a safe place to keep them there either, where they'll be sheltered from hard rains yet get enough sunlight to stay growing strong. Hmm, what to do? I know ... I'll just load this old cold frame my neighbor offered me onto my truck and take it home. I'm sure I can find a good place for it. In the meantime, I'll place these flats of plants in the cold frame while I drive home to protect them from the drying effects of the wind. You see, cold frames are a wonderful technique for providing additional protection in the early spring or late fall and potentially year-round in some areas of the country. Think of a cold frame as a mini greenhouse. The basic premise is a solid, insulating barrier around the plants and a glass or plastic top that allows sunlight and heat in. Using old windows works well and is a great way to recycle! Then they won't end up in the landfill. However, all cold frames should provide a way for heat to escape during the day or you risk cooking your plants before you intended. Cold frames can be constructed from a variety of materials: wood, cinder blocks, hay bales and more. You can plant directly into the soil within the cold frame or place seed flats or containers directly onto the ground inside. A sufficiently insulated cold frame can temporarily extend the growing season and it can even provide an environment warm enough to allow tender plants to thrive all the way until spring. Fast forward two days and 186 miles later ... "Boy, I should probably unload that cold frame from the back of the truck, along with those flats of plants. I wonder how they're doing?" ... And that's when it hit me; the perfect solution for anyone with a pickup and a sun-challenged yard! A cold frame on wheels! I could maneuver my truck to various sunny locations throughout the day as the need arose. The seedlings would love it. They'd get all the sun, plus wind and cold protection provided by the cold frame. It's the best of all worlds. As long as I didn't have a need to share the bed of my pickup truck for anything else while they're growing, I'd be in business. Ingenious, if I do say so myself! Now, will someone help me get this darn cold frame out of my truck so I can go get a load of mulch? (Joe Lamp'l, a master gardener, hosts DIY's Fresh from the Garden as well as a gardening radio show. For more information, visit www.joegardener.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.) | Get DIY On Your TV. Just follow the instructions to see if DIY Network is available through your cable or satellite provider. |
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