[MyAchingBack]

I have just constructed a cold frame but I don’t know what to stand it on (soil or paving slabs). Can anyone please recommend? 

[GrannieAnnie]

Depends how you are going to use it.  Are you going to plant straight into the ground, in which case put it on soil, but if its wood, make sure its got plenty of preservative on the bottom to help keep rot away.

If you are going to plant in pots and put the pots in the coldframe, then slabs.  I've got mine on weed suppressant which has gravel on top.  Helps drainage and helps stop weeds coming up.

[allotment-bill]

hi mine is sitting on edges of slabs with weed  matting with gravel on to as i dont plant into ground and helps with drainage . mine gets used alot one of best things you could have ,

[MyAchingBack]

Hi Grannie. I’m new to this allotment lark and I really would like to sow straight into the ground but do I need to consider crop rotation when the plants are so young? I will obviously be moving them to the allotment when they are fully established.

[GrannieAnnie]

I'm not sure about that one.  If you are going to transplant the plants from the coldframe to the allotment, surely it would be easier if they were in trays or small pots or modules?

I've never actually known anyone who grows straight into the ground in a frame.  They are usually used for hardening off plants rather than sowing, especially early in the season when its cold.

[MyAchingBack]

I’m with you now. I’ve never seen a cold frame being used before. I think I will do as you suggested and put down weed suppressant and gravel.

[the Kergan]

Mine sits on three inches of pea shingle with weed control membrane below it.

[snowdrops]

Hi Grannie. I’m new to this allotment lark and I really would like to sow straight into the ground but do I need to consider crop rotation when the plants are so young? I will obviously be moving them to the allotment when they are fully established.

I think it depends on the size of the cold frame. The large houses had huge greenhouses so had huge cold frames usually running down the sides of the greenhouses,think Heligan, they grew & still do grow pineapples in them using copious amounts of fresh manure to keep them warm. I assume yours isn't on that scale so pots is probably your best option.

[GrannieAnnie]

How do you grow pineapples in a cold frame?  I thought they were quite a tall plant? 

Many of the huge cold frames like you said ran along the lengths of the big greenhouses, but how they called them cold frames when they were kept hot by the manure I don't know!  They used to grow much of the smaller fruit in them, but I thought the bigger stuff like pineapples and melons etc were grown in the greenhouses themselves.

Did you ever see the Victorian Garden programmes?  Brilliant!

I can't seem to find it on IPlayer at the moment, but there are some clips on youtube

tHf3bNWvidU