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Cold Frames: The Easiest Way To Get A Jump On The Growing Season
Are you as impatient as I am, waiting for the frost-free planting dates to arrive? As the days get longer and spring inches closer, it’s hard not to get itchy fingers for gardening. Still, at this time of year, many of us need to wait for several more weeks, or even months, before we can start planting outdoors. But what if you didn’t have to wait that long? What if you could start gardening about five weeks prior to your traditional frost-free date? You can do it with a cold frame.
A cold frame is basically just a low bottomless box with a translucent top. It protects plants from the elements and provides solar heat to keep them warm.
Creating a Cold Frame
Cold frames are easy to build with found or repurposed items, and unless you want to, there is no need to use tools. It’s true that they’re often built from lumber, with distinctive sloping tops that are covered with clear poly sheeting, polycarbonate sheets or glass. It’s easy to find plans for these kinds of cold frames, like or . If you are recycling windows or other material to use as the lid, you can certainly modify the plans to fit the dimensions of the cover.
Source: http://www.offthegridnews.com/how-to-2/cold-frames-the-easiest-way-to-get-a-jump-on-the-growing-season/
