[Novice]

Hi All - In the last couple of months, I've taken on a half sized allotment which hadn't been worked for 3 or 4 years....I think I've dealt with the various challenges and am pretty much on track at the moment ( Oh no, I've said it now !! ).
However, in clearing the rubbish, I found a coldframe (almost) complete with glass, and, some of what I imagine, are cloch supports.
My question is...what do I do with my coldframe....and when ?
The plan for the allotment is to grow potatoes, onions, carrots, leeks, runner beans, sprouts and various salad bits and pieces.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[John]

Cloches and coldframes are very useful - sheltering plants from cold winds and keeping the temperature a few degrees higher.

You can get crops in earlier and keep them going longer by using cloches. For sweetcorn, for example, I put cloches on the soil before I plant which warms up the soil and keep the cloches on until the plants are too big. It really gets them off to a good start.

A coldframe will get everything from cabbages to lettuce ahead.  The coldframe also provides a great halfway house between greenhouse and ground. You can't just take a plant from a nice warm greenhouse and drop it into the cold world - the shock will kill it. So into the coldframe then start leaving the lid open in the day and after a week or two your plant is acclimatised to the nasty bug world.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Novice]

Thanks for the response John.
So I can get a head start by growing seeds in pots, and then transplanting them out when it's warmer.
I have some other issues which I'll post later
Thanks again

[mark]

John, is it too late to put lime on the soil? I know not to put it where my spuds are going. If it's too late, is there anything else I can use on the soil to help maximise fertility?

[John]

Not at all - you can lime now if you wish. If it hasn't gone into the ground by the time you are getting ready to sow, just fork the soil over to distribute it.

Do check your PH before liming though - over liming will not give you much benefit. If you con't have a tester, look at what weeds are growing. Lots f nettles and docks always seem to indicate an acid soil (you need to lime) as does a mossy, sour looking soil. Hence te expression'sweeten the soil' I suppose.