Creative Ways to Grow Crops with Cold Frames

Are you looking for a creative way to display your prized plants? Do you want to extend your growing options well into the winter months but can’t afford a full-scale greenhouse kit? Cold frames may be just what you’re looking for!
 
Cold Frame Uses

Cold frames serve as little greenhouses for growing crops in cooler weather. Depending on the crops and the climate, a cold frame may be sufficient to sustain plants until the spring thaw arrives. These little greenhouses shelter crops from harsh wind and allow the sun’s warmth to collect around the plants and keep the soil beneath from freezing.
 
Cold frames can be made from any translucent material. Plastic bottles, old milk jugs, and plastic sheeting can all serve as a type of cold frame material. However, most cold frames are constructed from the same materials used in full scale greenhouses.

Some greenhouse gardeners prefer to construct homemade cold frames from old windows, fitted together to create a glass box for plants to grow  in. Others opt for a more modern approach and order pre-constructed cold frame kits that use plastic panels that filter out the direct light, while letting in sufficient life sustain heat and light.

Note: Since cold frames are small, they can overheat very easily. Glass is not an ideal covering for a cold frame since the direct light will heat the area quickly. Be sure to have a ventilation plan when you build your cold frame. Build vents into the frame or have an easy way to prop up the cold frame lid as needed. Overheating can be much more detrimental to your plants than a light frost.
 
Crops for Cold Frame

Lettuce is an excellent cold frame crop. Many types of lettuce are hardy enough to withstand colder temperatures, and the cold frame environment provides just enough protection and warmth for many varieties of lettuce to thrive all winter long.
Spinach, scallions, chard, arugula, broccoli, beets, mustard, radish, kale, onion, and cabbage are also popular cold frame crop choices.
 
Cold Frame Tips

If you want use your cold frame for more than hardening off seedlings or getting a couple week’s head start on spring planting, you can add a layer of compost to your cold frame base. Cover this compost mixture with at least six inches of soil, and plant your crops.

The compost buried below provides an adequate heat source throughout cooler days to sustain the crops and keep them freezing, while adding much needed nutrients to the soil surrounding the frame.

You can also use decomposing hay or glass clippings to generate heat for your cold frame crops. This technique essentially transforms your cold frame into a hot bed for growing various types of crops.

Soil heating cables are also a good way to keep your soil warm in your greenhouse. These cables are buried in the soil and keep the soil in the 70 degree range.

Utilizing the low-cost effectiveness of cold frames can transform your gardening habits from a seasonal activity into a year-round hobby in a few easy steps.

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