Get A Head Start On Your Garden With A Cold Frame Greenhouse
A cold frame greenhouse is a fantastic way to extend the gardening season and to supply a protected setting for your plants. These compact growing structures are a welcome addition to any garden, even if you have a conventional greenhouse. They are an ideal place for your hothouse plants to adjust to the outdoor environment before you plant them. Moreover, they’re just the thing for starting seedlings in the springtime.
A cold frame greenhouse is really just a bottomless wooden box measuring about a foot in height that’s either placed on the ground or sunk in several inches. If you would like to plant directly into the structure, then add around four or five inches of compost and topsoil. You can build it to any dimensions you prefer, but make certain you can reach all the plants inside it. A cold frame depends completely on the sun’s rays for its heat, so you should place it in a secluded spot that gets plenty of sun and is shielded from the wind.
The most essential component of a cold frame greenhouse is the sloping roof, which is made of transparent or translucent material that lets in heat from the sun. Old windows make perfect covers, but you can use any type of see-through, rigid plastic or film; just make certain that the cover can be adjusted so as to permit proper exposure to air.
A hotbed is a type of cold frame having a source of heat within it, which can be a thermostatically controlled electric heating cable, an incandescent light bulb or even manure. All of these heating methods will keep your plants from freezing even when outside temperatures drop to approximately 15 degrees F.
There’s no need to construct your own cold frame if you’re not inclined to DIY projects. A cold frame greenhouse is essentially a miniature greenhouse, and you can purchase these pre-built at numerous stores and online merchants. These products are lightweight yet durable, and can be easily moved around as desired. They tend to be taller than cold frames and are made from semi-transparent plastic which is typically double-walled to provide insulation, and the roof is hinged for easy accessibility.
You can use a cold frame greenhouse for starting more robust annuals and early salad greens. It’s also the ideal spot to acclimatize seedlings before transplanting them into the ground. As the weather warms up, you might want to put it to use to root cuttings, to start less sturdy annuals and to sprout seeds. You can also plant winter vegetables in your cold frame in the fall so you will be able to have fresh greens and root vegetables through the cold months of winter.
For serious gardeners, an indoor greenhouse kit is the perfect way to extend the growing season. There’s certain to be one that fits your needs and the space you have available. Click here to learn more about an indoor greenhouse.
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