Fine Gardening Project Guides

Fruits and Vegetables

Guide Home
Chapter
The Dirt

Find Out Which Type of Cold Frame Is Best

See three different ways to utilize a cold-frame design

Photo: Joshua McCullough/Phytophoto

Creating a cold frame does not need to be expensive or time-consuming. Even folks without any woodworking skills can build a structure to protect newly seeded plants or tender crops from inclement weather. From simple to sophisticated, there is a cold frame for every gardener. Learn how to build your own cold frame.

Good

The most rudimentary cold frame may be all that you need. Here, seed-free straw bales filled with soil and topped with a repurposed window will do the job just fine so long as the window is secure in the straw.

a dog on a cold wood frame outside
Photo: image shared under CC BY-SA 2.0 from hardworking hippy on flickr.com

Better

With a little more time, you can create a cold frame out of recycled hemlock or other untreated wood and top it off with Lexan polycarbonate or other translucent material. On warm days, vent the structure with a felled branch or garden tool, such as a pitchfork or shovel.

raised garden beds
Photo: Bernadette on pixabay.com under CCO Creative Commons

Best

Some folks are perfectly happy investing a bit more time and money into a system that will last forever and needs little attention once it is built. This cold frame is constructed out of cedar planks and is topped with a sheet of acrylic. The pièce de résistance, however, is a heat-sensitive hydraulic riser that senses the temperature and regulates ventilation as needed.

Learn how to build it: Easy Cold Frame Plans

man constructing cold frame with acryclic on top
This cold frame is constructed out of cedar planks and is topped with a sheet of acrylic.

 

Previous: Grow Vegetables All Year-Long With Cold Frames Next: Easy-to-Build Cold Frame
View Comments

Comments

  1. gardeningmum 12/30/2014

    nice. I think I might start with the most basic and work my way up.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and Vegetables

Growing your own food is easy with the help of this comprehensive step-by-step guide

View Project Guide

View All Project Guides »

Become a member and get unlimited site access, including the Fruits and Vegetables Project Guide.

Start Free Trial

Basics
Tomatoes
Cool-Season Crops
Warm-Season Crops
Herbs
Fruits