Never miss a recipe!

Enter your email address to subscribe to Harvest to Table free via email:

almanac apples artichoke arugula asparagus basil beans beets best bet varieties blueberries bok choy books broccoli brussels sprouts cabbage carrots cauliflower celery chard cherries chilies Chinese cabbage Chinese leaves compost cooking cool-season vegetables corn cucumbers dates delicious bite delicious bites dried beans eggplant farmers market fennel fresh this week garbanzo bean gardening tips garlic grapefruit grapes herbs horseradish hot peppers how to grow in the garden kale kitchen garden kitchen garden almanac kohlrabi leeks legumes lemon lettuce mandarin orange melons mint mushrooms mustard greens nectarines okra olives onions oranges parsnips peaches pears peas peppers pests and diseases pests diseases problems potatoes pumpkin radish recipes rutabaga salsify seed starting shallots soil Southern Hemisphere spinach spring onions squash strawberry summer squash sun-dried tomato sunchokes sweet corn sweet pepper sweet potato tangerine tomato turnip turnip greens vegetable garden watermelons winter squash zucchini

Harvest to Table

A practical guide to food in the garden and market

Best Cold Frame Site

Filed under: Season Extension, Tagged as: cold frame, season extension

A cold frame can help you extend your growing season by capturing the warming rays of the winter sun and holding them. Even the simplest cold frame can lengthen your growing season by several weeks. To get the most out of your cold frame give some forethought to the site where it will best perform. Here are some tips for situating your cold frame:

• Site the frame where it will receive sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon in the winter and early spring.

• Site the frame so that it faces south, southwest, or southeast; this will ensure the greatest exposure to solar heat during the winter months when the sun tracks furthest to the south. (For those of you who live in the Southern Hemisphere, site the frame to face north.)

• The back wall of the frame should be at least a few inches higher than the front wall so that the top or sash is angled and receives maximum sun exposure. Commonly, the front of the frame is 4 to 10 inches lower than the back side allowing for the maximum sun exposure.

• Site the frame where it is easy to monitor, not far from the house. Like all of your vegetable garden beds, the beds (and plants) that get the most attention are likely to be the most bountiful.

• Site the frame on level, well-drained soil. Water should not be allowed to sit in or around the cold frame. If you must situate your frame on slope, be sure that water from up the slope drains away from and not into the frame.

• Site the frame near a source of water. Plants growing in the cool time of the year require less water, but still require watering. Keep the soil or growing medium just moist but not wet.

• The open bottomed frame should be sited over good soil or a raised bed. If the frame is permanent prepare the soil as you would any other vegetable-growing bed. Amend the soil in the frame just as you would other vegetable-growing beds, adding a layer of compost twice a year. If the frame is portable, prepare the bed and amend the soil before you set the frame in place for the winter season.

• Site the frame where it is protected from prevailing winds; place the frame to the south of a building, wall, fence, or hedge. Wind will rob the frame of stored solar heat. Plants exposed to wind can be damaged or robbed of moisture.

• Site the frame where it is not shaded by buildings or evergreen trees. A frame for winter use may be sited near deciduous trees which will be bare of leaves in winter. Maximum exposure to the winter sun is important.

• Site the frame against a building or wall where heat and light will bounce off the building or wall and into the frame.

Related Articles:

Making A Cold Frame

Cold Frame Calendar

Cold Frame: Extend Your Vegetable Garden Season

Vegetable Garden Location

Vegetable Garden Planning

Never Miss a New Post subscribe to Harvest to Table by entering your email:

(more details)

Currently 3.03/5
1
2
3
4
5

Rating: 3.0/5 (166 votes cast)

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

An enthusiastic and accessible companion, The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide: A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia by Stephen Albert details the very essentials to gain small crop prowess and expertise. This in-depth reference book is for the kitchen gardener and cook, a simple, one-stop, easy-to-use guide to bring fresh, inexpensive and healthy food from your garden to your table. Use this book as an index and information bank-a cornucopia-to access your favorite small vine fruits, vegetables and herbs and answer your particular questions.

Harvest to Table

Harvest to Table

A practical guide to food in the garden and market

Best Cold Frame Site

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

Leave a comment

Send This Entry To A Friend

Link to this page

Harvest to Table

Harvest to Table

A practical guide to food in the garden and market

Best Cold Frame Site

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia: The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

Leave a comment

Send This Entry To A Friend

Link to this page

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide