Cold frame or not?

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stompy

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Cold frame or not?
« on: October 20, 2011, 14:57 »
Hi all,

Ok my question is, i have a greenhouse so do i need a coldframe?

Is there any point in me building one and if so why?


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compostqueen

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Re: Cold frame or not?
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2011, 15:39 »
I have two of them, both home made for virtually nothing. I keep them for cold things rather than plants requiring warmth, such as shrub cuttings and brassica plants and for hardening things off before committing them to the plot. I have one against my shed and I use that for all manner of hardening off jobs and brassica plantlets and when it's empty I put my cucumbers in it and let them grow in there, and up trellis attached to my shed. In the bottom of both I have black plastic woven sheet mulch to keep weeds out and to discourage slugs. They do get in from time to time so you have to be vigilant  :)  You could line the base with grit or gravel which makes for good drainage but I find the sheet mulch does the job

You don't need to build one as such. I screwed four window frames together and use a piece of glass for a lid. The other one is two pallet tops, one on top of the other with a piece of conservatory polycarb roofing on it which I hold in place with a couple of bricks. 

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stompy

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Re: Cold frame or not?
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2011, 15:44 »
Yeh i was thinking of using twin walled pollycarb for the roof and scaff boards for the back sides and front.

So would you say i need one CQ even though i have a greenhouse?

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compostqueen

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Re: Cold frame or not?
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2011, 15:57 »
I've got three small greenhouses but I still use my coldframes. My coldframes are on the allotment but the greenhouses are at home.  I grow herbs from either cuttings or seeds and they don't need warmth so I grow them on in the cold frames. I like to grow Hispi cabbages sown in October into modules and I plant them out when they're big enough but I can overwinter them in the coldframe. I could use the greenhouse just as well though.  Sometimes though I just need more space than I've got in the greenhouse so that's when the coldframe comes in handy.  Veggies raised in the greenhouse need to be hardened off and that's where the frames come in handy; sort of a half-way house until the frosts have gone and it's safe to plant out. 

If you can manage without one then fine but I got the window frames given to me so thought I'd press them into service. The frame is long enough to take growbags so I've grown quite a few aubs and chillies in there over the years  :)

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stompy

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Re: Cold frame or not?
« Reply #4 on: October 20, 2011, 15:59 »
Thanks for the responses CQ.

I'll build a couple i think.  ;)

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compostqueen

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Re: Cold frame or not?
« Reply #5 on: October 20, 2011, 16:01 »
I posted a pic of one of mine hereabouts the other day  :)  It needs its annual buff up about now  :)

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sunshineband

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Re: Cold frame or not?
« Reply #6 on: October 20, 2011, 18:52 »
I got a polycarb kit one very very cheap (broken box etc), and have a couple fo windows too, ready to make mine for the spring.

Great for hardening off stuff from the green house before plantng it out for real  :D

and next winter I shall have some salad leaves in one to keep them really good, rather than wind battered  ;)
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