Read on to learn the basics of how to build a cold frame.
What Is a Cold Frame?
Before You Begin
Acold framecan be built out of just about anything.
PaulMaguire / Getty Images
This example is constructed out of pressure-treated lumber and features an acrylic top.
Avoid this by drilling proper pilot holes and refrain from overdriving your screws.
Holding the wood up and avoiding ground contact will help it last longer.
How to Keep Cold Frames Warm
Heating a cold frame differs fromheating a greenhouse.
Cold frames only keep plants 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the outside temperature.
Monitor your cold frame to peek if yourplants are too cold.
To increase heat inside, create a hotbed.
The compost breaks down and generates heat to warm the cold frame.
While cold frame usage is primarily passive, there is one trick to using it effectively foroverwintering plants.
Because of the exposure to the elements, it’s a good idea to reseal the wood annually.
If the plexiglass gets cloudy over time, you could easily replace it.
Put a cold frame over summer and fall plants to extend the season.
If you want to growplants for cold weather, overwinter them in your cold frame.
Pavers are good as a hard surface if you fill the cold frame with pots.
Other gardeners use weed control fabric topped with 6 inches of sand to plunge pots into.
A soil base over weed control fabric is best for plants, not in pots.
Growing crops in the winter is easy with a cold frame.
Lots of salad greens and vegetables are perfectly fine in a cold frame into the winter.
However, many plants do well in a cold frame.
Building and Using Hotbeds and Cold Frames.University of Missouri Extension.
