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Gardening with Cold Frames By Melissa J Wantuck  |
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 A cold frame is a helpful tool for gardeners who live in a climate where winter temperatures drop to 32°F or colder. It isn’t a required tool but it’s a nice one to have for gardeners who want to cultivate their own plants rather than buy everything from a garden center. It can be your very own plant nursery right in your backyard.
A cold frame is useful for several reasons. It is an aid for seed starting, hardening off young seedlings, nurturing divided plants, rooting cuttings, over-wintering tender plants, and providing a shelter for dormant seeds or bulbs during the winter.
Cold frames can be bought or easily made. It comes in various sizes but should be placed so it faces south or east and will get at least half a day of full sun.
Building a Cold Frame
For your own cold frame, you should start by finding a spot in your yard that will supply the cold frame with adequate amounts of sun. Next, level an area the size you intend your cold frame to be. Lay down a piece of hardware cloth, followed by landscape fabric. Both should be slightly larger than the intended size of your cold frame.
Wood is a simple material to construct the box of your cold frame out of. The back should be higher than the front and angled down, 12 inches high in the back, 6 inches high in the front is one example. For the lid, here are two ideas. The first is to have a piece of Plexiglas cut that will fit over the entire cold frame. Screw hinges to the wood and attach the hinges to the Plexiglas using superglue. The second idea is making a window frame out of wood that fits the cold frame and wrapping clear heavy plastic over the frame and stapling it underneath it to hold the plastic in place.
Another idea for the lid is to use old windows for the lid. Smaller windows can be screwed together to make a bigger lid.
Fall Usage
About mid-way through the fall, place inside the cold frame pots of seeds that need a cold period and any perennials or root cuttings, potted, that won’t survive the winter.
On warm days, prop open the lid of the cold frame so you don’t overheat the plants in it. Once the outside temperature drops below 32°F, cover the cold frame with a tarp or blanket to keep out the light.
Winter Usage
Check the plants in the cold frame every few weeks. Water sparingly only if plants look completely dry. Check too for any rodents that may have set up a winter retreat in your cold frame.
In late winter, remove the tarp or blanket so the sun can begin warming the plants. Once the daily temperatures reach 50°F, prop open the lid. When you start watering the plants, do it early in the day so the leaves can dry as quickly as possible, otherwise you’ll risk disease from damp conditions.
Spring Usage
Seeds that require colder temperatures for germinating can be started in the cold frame and any that were started indoors can be brought out to harden off before planting. On cold nights, cover the frame with the tarp or blanket to keep the warmth from the sun inside longer for the younger plants.
Summer Usage
Keep the cold frame clean unless you are starting more seeds or propagating root cuttings in it. If the cold frame is in full sun, supply 50 percent shade to it during the hot months. Water early in the morning.
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