Is anyone using coldframes this year?

[simple life]

If so, is this your first time doing it or have you been using this method for a while?
How is it going for you.
I have been considering it, got a good book on it too, but procrastinating a little here.
I was thinking more of doing it next year.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I'm going to use mine in spring.

If they were deeper I would have used them to plant greens in this fall, but it would have taken me some time to dig out the soil (not good garden soil -- compacted and no nutrients).

 

[simple life]

What are you using for materials?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

My husband used some old windows (not too large, with aluminum frames) and some scrap lumber. He protected the wood in contact with the soil by treating it and then lining it with plastic (to limit leaching into the soil). . . so I piled rocks up around it so it doesn't look too trashy.

 

[Rosalind]

Yes, but we just had a hard freeze that doesn't look like letting up for a few more days, and I don't think the rocks and bottles of water are holding enough heat for anything. I put some lettuces in there but I think they croaked.

Made it out of three 1x12" boards. Cut two in half to make a box, then cut one in half and cut one half diagonally corner to corner to make two triangles. DH used some smaller bits of scrap lumber to make sort of cleats, and we put a heavy piece of clear plastic attached to three width-wise boards on top. The ends of the boards fit into the cleats so I can half-open it as needed. The dirt was OK, just needed a little weeding and fertilizer. I put some big heavy rocks and jugs of water in there for thermal mass.