My cold frame (planted with cold weather greens) is getting 10-20*F above outside temperature on sunny days, but falls to outside temperature without sun.
Last night was very chilly - 29*. We covered it with a plastic tarp that covers up some of the open hinges where air can flow in and gives it an extra layer of insulation. At 30* outside right now, its 46* inside! The plants look cozy.
I read that a cold frame is a good place for hardening off seedlings. I'll give this a try later for my tomatoes and other warm weather seedlings. Still too cold out there for them.
6 comments:
This year I will be using reinforcement wire for pea trellis, and also for cucumber trellis later. Do you have any experience with it?
I'm trying my own form of coldframe which I call a tenthouse. Its a tent of clear plastic vinyl over 1x2's. It gets pretty warm inside in the sunshine but in the evening I put heavy row cover over the rows to maintain above freezing temps.
I like your coldframe but am not able to make one myself, hence my tenthouse.
my blog is:
http://quiltbeagardens.blogspot.com if you want to see it.
I enjoy keeping track of your efforts. Good job.
quiltbea
Tent house sounds great. I am lucky to have a woodworker partner. I bet the tent will work well.
I am also looking for reinforcement wire. Have never used it before. I hear Home Depot has this. I have seen gardeners using it and it is very nice looking, sturdy and lasts well. I'd like to use it for my vines this year. Cukes, melons, peas, beans...
Kathy, I picked some up last year at Lowe's, but have yet to put it to use out in the garden. Those 2 and 2.5 feet peas are tough since they don't quite need a trellis, yet will flop about with nothing around them.
Just out of interest, are your temperatures in Celsius or Fahrenheit? minus 29C is different from minus29F, though I would have to run them through a calculator to figure out what the temp was in Celsius. Either way, I reckon its been cold at your place! check out my happenings at www.gardeningincromwell.blogspot.com
Oops. That's not a minus sign - its a hyphen. Not a good place to use a hyphen. The temp was 29*F!
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