How to extend your growing season by a cold frame

A cold frame can be the answer to the prayer of a gardener to grow vegetables in winter. It takes little money, but the payoff is huge. the cold is not until the end of the average crop production. A simple cold frame may begin before and extend the growing season longer.

Cold frames can be a do-it-yourself work or commercially built frames can be purchased. They are basically mini-greenhouses, usuallywooden boxes with hinged lid glass. The box must be higher in the back and bottom front. Give the box, this slope increases the amount of light into force, unless and until the bottom of the sun. The lid should be open in front. Most home-built frames of old windows hinges on a frame of wood 1 foot to 2 feet in height will. Use a wood preservative tolerant of toxic and moisture, such as cedar or cypress treated. Some manufacturers also paint the wood to helpmake it last longer. With black paint to absorb heat and raise the temperature. It must be able to have adequate ventilation. Be sure to vent the box when the internal temperature above 75 degrees. And 'helpful to use a thermometer in the box. Close cover before sunset. If mobility is desired, place the handles on the sides so it can be moved easily. A few inches of the box is usually under the cover of land for additional insulation.

Place in a cold frameSpot that gets lots of sun. If possible, given the lower side to the south. This is not an option, the next it would be desirable to the west. A cold frame can be placed directly into garden soil. To do this, dig the soil 4-8 inches deep, and add some compost. For more heat, about 4 "of dung on the ground and then add several inches above the ground. As the manure decomposes, it produces heat. When the temperatures drop, cold-frame can be covered with a blanket orPlane.

They can be used in spring, could start to cool the vegetables time from six to eight weeks before the plants are placed in the garden in the rule. The same time fresh vegetables located in the Mid-Autumn, so that fresh produce in winter.