Cold Frames

Last winter I built a cold frame with help from a friend.  The idea was to extend my gardening efforts into the winter.  There was scrap lumber in my garage and we bought recycled materials at a totally cool place called Community Forklift.  There was a wide variety of old windows to choose from along with a great big pile of bricks for selection.    A plan for the cold frame was sketched and then we spent a weekend or two putting it together.  Basically the bricks form the outline with a wood base all around and the window is hinged to cover.  Here is what it looks like

Last month, I decided to finally start using it, so it was filled with old leaves, manure and soil.  I planted seeds for spinach, lettuce and mustard and dug up some lettuce plants from my garden and transplanted into the frame.  The idea is to try and have greens over the winter.  The spinach doesn't seem to be sprouting and since it didn't come up in my veg garden either, I wonder if it was a dud package.

My CSA farmer, Allan, sent me a link last year to a site that talked about cold frame farming.  I can't find the link nor can he remember what it was. I'll have to use my librarian skills to locate it.  I've never started my own seeds for growing, such as tomatoes or peppers but with the cold frame available for hardening, I think I  might try it.  Apparently one can also direct sow plants like broccoli into the frame and then transplant them out as seedlings.

Another friend of mine gave me a cold frame that he didn't want.  It's in a package and needs to be assembled and is currently sitting on my back porch.  That might be this weekend's project.