Cold Frame: Building
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Cold Frame - Main Topics |
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Cold Frames
By using a cold frame you will be able to grow most of your own plants. You will save money, raise superior plants, get plants that are directly acclimatized to your locality, and you can produce a far greater variety of crops. There is a great advantage in having a cold frame.A simply built cold frame can help you start and harden off seeds and transplants, extend the growing season and increase your below ground crops root-storage capacity.
What is the difference between a hotbed and a cold frame? A cold frame has the same construction as a hotbed, except that there is no heat used inside it. In a cold frame you can propagate such cold-loving plants as cabbage, the broccoli family and cauliflower. Or you can use cold frames to acclimate to outdoor temperatures plants that have been started in hotbeds. Grow heat-loving plants—peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, and others—in a hotbed.
Hotbeds
There are two types of hotbeds. One is heated by a great deal of fermenting straw or fresh manure (preferably horse manure), which has been placed in a pit 21/2 feet deep. Pack the manure down to a depth of 18 inches and water well. Then shovel in five to six inches of finely sieved composted soil or good rich topsoil to make the seedbed.Another type is made by arranging electric heating cables five inches below the surface of the topsoil seedbed. The coils produce a steady heat day and night while the manure is only effective for a few weeks.
Building a cold frame
The frame and top of both kinds of hotbeds and cold frames are constructed the same way. Use glass, Plexiglas or plastic. For permanent frame tops, use glass windows bought from a scrapyard or salvaged from an old building. Sides are made from thick planking.Location:
The location of either hotbeds or cold frames should provide full exposure to the sun and good protection from cold winds. A southern exposure is best, providing that water from the eaves of the protecting structure does not drip onto the beds. The bed can be divided into two parts—one-half serving as a hotbed, the other as a cold frame.Excavation:
The excavation or pit for a hotbed is usually dug from ten inches to three feet deep. The length is ordinrily some multiple of three feet, the width of standard hotbed sash. The width of the bed should also accommodate standard sash. Used window sash dimensions will dictate the size of the bed.For a four-sash frame, the excavation should be laid out 61/2 feet wide by 12% feet long. The latter dimension allows for necessary sash supports or bars that run across the bed. Walls should be about 6 inches thick.
The bed is usually made so that the top of the south wall is about 6 to 8 inches and the north wall from 12 to 20 inches above the ground. This gives a slope of from 6 to 12 inches. As it is difficult to dig a 6-inch trench for concrete walls, it is customary to make the excavation for the bed first and to utilize the earth for the outer forms up to ground level. One-inch-wide boards are used above grade and for -the inner forms. If desired, recesses may be cast in the top surfaces of the wall to receive sash.
Recommended concrete mixture for hotbeds
The recommended concrete mixture for hotbeds and cold frames is 1:21/4:3—that is,one part cement by volume to 21/4 parts clean sand and three parts gravel or crushed stone. The coarse aggregate (gravel or crushed stone) should not be more than 11/2 inches in diameter. These ingredients are mixed to a stiff, fairly dry consistency, and then tamped into place in the forms. Not more than five gallons of water per bag of cement should be used for this mix when the sand is in average moist condition. Good concrete is not difficult to make, but always measure ingredients carefully.The newly placed walls should be protected from drying out too quickly. Hang moist canvas or burlap over them and wet down the covered walls with a garden hose. Do this frequently for a week or ten days after pouring. In cold weather the work should be protected, but does not have to be kept moist.
Provide ample drainage
The ground should slope away from the site of the bed since good surface and underground drainage is essential. Without ample drainage, water may possibly collect in the pit, delay the growth of the plants and seriously check the fermenting of the manure. Lengths of 4-inch drain tile are often placed around the perimeter of the bed and connected to a suitable outlet so that the bed will be drained in case water happens to collect. However, in well-drained soil, this is probably not necessary.|
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