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Amy Matthews

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  • Tips and Tools for Lawns and Gardens
    		•
    Find out how to get the greenest lawn and the longest growing season in the neighborhood.
    From "Today Show Tips"
    episode DTST-111


    (Continued from page 1)

    PHOTO

    A coldframe can extend your growing season by several weeks.
    Longer Growing Seasons with Cold Frames

    You can extend the growing season for vegetables by using a cold frame, which is essentially a mini-greenhouse for seedlings. Constructed with an old window for a "roof," a cold frame is easy to build. It's a transitional place to keep the plants, but you can also use it to grow in the early spring when it's still too cold to actually plant in the garden; lettuce, spinach and other tender crops that wouldn't survive cold temperatures without protection can thrive in a cold frame. Cold frames also help seedlings to harden off, resulting in tougher plants.

    Here's how to build a cold frame:

    • Start with an old window sash. If you don't have one lying around, you can find them at salvage yards. Cut pieces of 2 x 12 construction lumber to fit the perimeter measurement of the window frame. Build an open box, and put a preservative on it. That will protect it, since this first box will be underground.

    • Build a second box to the same length and width, but you'll make a different cut on the sides, and the front will be shorter. The sides need to taper from back to front. That will allow the window to lie on an angle, which permits more sunlight into the cold frame and sheds rain.

      When you make a diagonal cut, it's important to have the wood held securely on your bench. You can use screws to hold it in place. Cut the sides from one piece of 2 x 12, cutting diagonally from corner to corner.

    • Dig down 1 foot into the soil, and put the first box into the bottom of the hole. Line the hole with a permeable membrane to prevent weeks. Add about 3 inches of gravel to provide drainage. On top of that, add 4 or 5 inches of soil.

    • Use construction adhesive and nails to attach the upper box, which actually has only three sides: the back and the tapered sides. Attach the window sash to the back piece with hinges.

    • To keep your plants extra cozy, you can cover the inside of the cold frame with insulation boards. Measure and cut the insulation to size, and attach them with construction adhesive.



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  • ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  		• Tips and Tools for Lawns and Gardens