Cold Frame problems

[jhook1997]

Not sure this is the right place for this post but hopefully I'll get some help. Anyway, I just built my first cold frame. It's 3' by 8' and made from treated lumber. I put it about 8" into the ground. Silly me didn't first measure my available windows but fortunately when I gone the angle done, they fit perfectly. My problem is that when it rains my cold frame floods! It is not coming from the windows but rather from around the wood box. I need to put plants in it this week! Any ideas, thoughts or photos of what to do???

 

[lesa]

Hmmm, what about putting some stone or gravel on the bottom? Maybe laying some pieces of 2x4's down to raise up your containers? How deep is the water getting?

 

[jhook1997]

Hmmm, what about putting some stone or gravel on the bottom? Maybe laying some pieces of 2x4's down to raise up your containers? How deep is the water getting?

The box is burried about 8 inches and I don't want to raise it as that defeats the purpose of being in the ground for insulation purposes. The last all day rain we had put 4" of water in it! I'm thinking of puttting about 4 inches of rock before I put my dirt.

 

[lesa]

Right, that is what I meant. I realize you want the box in the ground. The wood would be inside the boxes, just to raise your actual plants off the ground/water. So, you were planning on planting directly in the dirt- I thought you were going with containers inside the box... Are you planning on transplanting, or will you harvest directly from the cold frame?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Could you possibly trench around the upper side to divert water away? I did read that it is 8" deep and I took that to mean the side boards are buried 8" deep, so that may not be practical. But where is the water coming from?

In installing it, did you create a spot to collect water? Maybe look at it if it is below grade level and you disturbed the ground where water can easily collect and soak through?

Maybe locate it on a slope or slightly raised spot so you can set up drainage better? Gravel under it won't help that much if the water does not have some place to drain to. I'd consider sand instead of gravel. My fingers hurt when I hit gravel digging out grass and weed roots.

My general thoughts are to use your terrain to keep water out and help it drain.

You are looking at your terrain and I'm not so it is a little hard to be specific.

 

[jhook1997]

Right, that is what I meant. I realize you want the box in the ground. The wood would be inside the boxes, just to raise your actual plants off the ground/water. So, you were planning on planting directly in the dirt- I thought you were going with containers inside the box... Are you planning on transplanting, or will you harvest directly from the cold frame?

I agree...I'm going to raise the plants some, most likely with rock. (I'm thinking thermal mass?)

I'm actually going to do both containers and in the dirt. 1/2 will be an area for a few cold weather veggies in the off season and the other 1/2 for "hardening" in containers.

The hole I dug did cause the water problem. This is a first for me and I did not find anything about water problems when I was reading all the "how to's". So needless to say....I didn't think about drainage.

I chose my spot based on wind/sun/"where the dog likes to lie". I don't think I can come up with a way to "drain" it but today I filled in all the gaps around the outside of the box with sacrete. I'm going to cover that with a layer of dirt and try to slope it away from the box. Part of the problem is that the box is against a building and a ramp into the building. Anyway, I guess I'll see what happens next time it rains.

 

[jhook1997]

Could you possibly trench around the upper side to divert water away? I did read that it is 8" deep and I took that to mean the side boards are buried 8" deep, so that may not be practical. But where is the water coming from?

In installing it, did you create a spot to collect water? Maybe look at it if it is below grade level and you disturbed the ground where water can easily collect and soak through?

Maybe locate it on a slope or slightly raised spot so you can set up drainage better? Gravel under it won't help that much if the water does not have some place to drain to. I'd consider sand instead of gravel. My fingers hurt when I hit gravel digging out grass and weed roots.

My general thoughts are to use your terrain to keep water out and help it drain.

You are looking at your terrain and I'm not so it is a little hard to be specific.

I understand what you mean about the drainage but I'm afraid I should have thought about my location before I dug the hole.

Oh well, "live and learn" "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" "If you don't suceed at first......blah blah....

Thanks for all the comments!