Our New Cold Frame-Suggestions?

[FarmerJamie]

Looks good (and simple)!
So whatcha gonna plant in there, huh?, huh?. Another Ohioan that can't wait to play in the dirt wants to know!!!!

Simple is what we do best around here!!
Hmmmm....I'm kinda thinking broccoli and spinach right now. Do you usually start some inside too and then transplant? I'm really wanting to start some things inside too right now but I think I'm kinda jumping the gun

I'm going to have to wait a little longer this season to start my indoor plants for reasons that have nothing to do with gardening, but I try to have most of my indoor stuff started around St Paddy's day.

The broccoli you could probably start inside in a week or two. In your cold frame, if the dirt is ready (warmed up and not sopping wet) I would plant some lettuce, spinach, carrots, and maybe some scallions for a early start on a garden salad.

You could provide updates on the Gardening and Preserving Challenge Thread.

 

[Kala]

Looks good (and simple)!
So whatcha gonna plant in there, huh?, huh?. Another Ohioan that can't wait to play in the dirt wants to know!!!!

Simple is what we do best around here!!
Hmmmm....I'm kinda thinking broccoli and spinach right now. Do you usually start some inside too and then transplant? I'm really wanting to start some things inside too right now but I think I'm kinda jumping the gun

I'm going to have to wait a little longer this season to start my indoor plants for reasons that have nothing to do with gardening, but I try to have most of my indoor stuff started around St Paddy's day.

The broccoli you could probably start inside in a week or two. In your cold frame, if the dirt is ready (warmed up and not sopping wet) I would plant some lettuce, spinach, carrots, and maybe some scallions for a early start on a garden salad.

You could provide updates on the Gardening and Preserving Challenge Thread.

Good to know! I'm still trying to get all of the timing down on things as I am still pretty new to gardening and this is really the first year I have taken it really seriously even though I've had gardens in the past. I never really tried to do much more that one planting of anything and I certaintly didn't try to start anything inside.

I'll have to get started on the things you mentioned. And some potatoes soon too I think?

I'm still trying to make my way through that thread!

 

[Wifezilla]

You need a few more jugs. Other than that, looks good

 

[FarmerJamie]

Simple is what we do best around here!!
Hmmmm....I'm kinda thinking broccoli and spinach right now. Do you usually start some inside too and then transplant? I'm really wanting to start some things inside too right now but I think I'm kinda jumping the gun

I'm going to have to wait a little longer this season to start my indoor plants for reasons that have nothing to do with gardening, but I try to have most of my indoor stuff started around St Paddy's day.

The broccoli you could probably start inside in a week or two. In your cold frame, if the dirt is ready (warmed up and not sopping wet) I would plant some lettuce, spinach, carrots, and maybe some scallions for a early start on a garden salad.

You could provide updates on the Gardening and Preserving Challenge Thread.

Good to know! I'm still trying to get all of the timing down on things as I am still pretty new to gardening and this is really the first year I have taken it really seriously even though I've had gardens in the past. I never really tried to do much more that one planting of anything and I certaintly didn't try to start anything inside.

I'll have to get started on the things you mentioned. And some potatoes soon too I think?

I'm still trying to make my way through that thread!

'Taters, yes, I would say too early because of the cold and damp conditions here. I always split my crop into early (Yukon Gold) and late (Russets) maturing varieties. Since we eat most of them fresh, we stay in fresh 'tators longer without getting sick of them or having them go to waste.

For us this year, the wife is talking about canning a lot of them, so I need to think it through a little more.

 

[Kala]

Gonna add more jugs tommorrow. Seems like a good idea. When I checked the temp a bit ago (bbrrrrr....) it was a little bit higher than it had been before I added the jug but not much so I think more is better in this case! Thanks!

Ah yes, early and late varieties. Yet another thing I need to think about I really do love this forum.

 

[Boogity]

A couple of comments:

1. The foil should be adjusted so that it does not reflect the sunlight away from your cold frame walls. As shown in the pics your foil may be reflecting a little bit of the sun's warmth away from the concrete blocks.

2. (I guess this tip is for everyone) If you are ever concerned about your water bottles freezing at night during extremely low temps you can paint large stones flat black and place them inside the frame. Actually you can make the entire frame perimeter out of the stones. Stones don't freeze and burst and they slowly give up the collected heat during the night.

Keep up the good work - it looks good.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Ah yes, early and late varieties. Yet another thing I need to think about I really do love this forum.

That the fun of it, the possibilities are endless.

This a great place to be!

 

[Kala]

A couple of comments:

1. The foil should be adjusted so that it does not reflect the sunlight away from your cold frame walls. As shown in the pics your foil may be reflecting a little bit of the sun's warmth away from the concrete blocks.
2. (I guess this tip is for everyone) If you are ever concerned about your water bottles freezing at night during extremely low temps you can paint large stones flat black and place them inside the frame. Actually you can make the entire frame perimeter out of the stones. Stones don't freeze and burst and they slowly give up the collected heat during the night.

Keep up the good work - it looks good.

Is there a way you can tell which side is which? When I looked at them I couldn't really tell a difference, they both looked about the same. Or do you mean laying them out differently?

 

[Boogity]

I don't think it matters much which side is in or out in this situation. Survival blankets are very good at reflecting heat both in and out.

What I was referring to is the blanket seems to be exposed to the sun on the outside of the frame. This will reflect the sun's rays away from the frame and will not allow the rays to heat the concrete blocks. If you could tuck the blanket away some where so that the sun could beat down on the conc. blocks (instead of reflecting it away) you might pick up a few degrees of heat while the sun is out. The blocks would hold the heat until sun goes down and then they will slowly start to release the warmth into the frame space.

Please understand that this is a minor item and that I think your design is great. I just noticed the shiny surface out there where it could reflect the sun instead of absorbing it. Keep up the good work and you will learn a lot in the process. Then you can share your first-hand knowledge with us.

Off topic: Have any of you guys out there ever tried one of those survival blankets? They seem to weigh only a few ounces and are as thin as tissue paper. But MAN they really work! One cold early spring night, while wild turkey hunting, I was freezing to death in my tiny tent, or so it seemed. I whipped out my handy-dandy little survival blanket and slid down into it and then slid into my sleeping bag. Whoa!!! I was sweating in less than 10 minutes. Those things really work. We now have 4 of them in our bug-out-bag.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have one in my emergency kit in the car. Never had to use it, but nice to know it will work if i do need it!