Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: keeper on October 17, 2013, 11:47

Title: cold frames
Post by: keeper on October 17, 2013, 11:47

Hi All,

I am building a cold frame, about 4ft. x 2ft. will cladding be suitable about 15mm. thick or would you advise thicker material, we intend to insulate and I will hinge it so that it will collapse and store for the summer. We intend to stand it near the back door so it is handy to manage but need to move it as it will be where we have grown Toms. outside before ie. south facing wall.

Keeper 

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: cadalot on October 17, 2013, 18:59

I made mine out of gravel boards and lined with polystyrene packaging from a fridge freezer I bought, at the coldest there is about 0.5 - 0.75 degrees difference between inside and outside temperatures.

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: RichardA on October 17, 2013, 23:04

Sounds like a good idea. Just an opinion ......... top and bottom are significant surfaces so depending what you are growing and in what eg pots stood on patio they need to insulated as well except when sun is out etc.Covering at dusk will have to be done of course or one cold night takes away all advantage. Keeping plants out of wind and hence in still slightly dryer air can help to avoid being caught by frost.
Slight protection can however be very significant for plants that are being brought on such as young sweet peas etc that are cold tolerant but not frost proof.
Also keeps pigeons etc off................
R

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: cadalot on October 18, 2013, 17:30

My glass are old double gazed panels and I have the base insulated with polystyrene and bubble wrap

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: keeper on October 21, 2013, 19:40

Hi All,

Thanks for the ideas, I did price gravel boards but a neighbour had quite a number of cladding boards left , how is that for luck, they are thinner than I original planned but enough to make it double skinned with an infill of polystyrene sheeting for insulation. This bit of luck allowed us to have a change of plan and after a hard weekend of strimming and chainsawing we have created a space for the new cold frame. We are going to stand it on pallets so we can, as advised in the replies, insulate the base, though not with polystyrene!
This is usual for us, to have a change of plan as we now fancy building a more substantial frame near the  house and maybe have a heat source to make it a propagator/small greenhouse with a heat source eventually.

Thanks again Trevor

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: cadalot on October 22, 2013, 05:18

Trevor - Can you upload a photograph so we can see ;)

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: keeper on October 22, 2013, 10:36

Hi Cadalot,
Will try to send photos, but have tried to send some before, of my plot and failed, my fault I am sure as it kept telling me they were too large but the same as I have sent photos before! At moment I have the frame built in sections and we are waiting for the rain to ease to put it together.
I see in your message that you have used polystyrene for insulation, I was concerned about it on the base having the pots and trays stood on it, have you done your base with poly. and if so was it ok?

Trevor

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: cadalot on October 22, 2013, 12:02

Jep I started off with battens at mid height to place seed trays on near to the glass and then as they start to grow they get dropped down in stages so they have to reach for the sun

Title: Re: cold frames
Post by: carlrmj on November 06, 2013, 12:11

     

    Here are a few photo's of the coldframes I've made from window frames and fireplace crates ,all at zero cost,

   free from the local glazing firm skip and the fireplace shop round the corner .