Cold Frames
An extended look at cold-frames. Most growers experience a down period during harsh months before spring and after fall. Fortunately, most name brands make a cold frame growing house designed to extend your grow cycle into winter weather. For those who are new to the world of growing, it's best to get small, but expandable greenhouse kits. A cold frame traps the heat from daily sunlight and resists cooling at night. They can be an excellent, yet inexpensive way to start your season early or extend it into late Fall.

Posted Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Most growers experience a down period during harsh months before spring and after fall. Fortunately, most name brands make a cold frame growing house designed to extend your grow cycle into winter weather. For those who are new to the world of growing, it's best to get small, but expandable greenhouse kits. A cold frame traps the heat from daily sunlight and resists cooling at night. They can be an excellent, yet inexpensive way to start your season early or extend it into late Fall.

There are several important things to remember when purchasing a cold frame--sticking with name brands is only one of them. A cold frame growing house can come in a variety of styles--most growers find that an online vendor is often a good place to find a quality selection, (Juliana greenhouses guarantee all of their cold frames to work for 12 years, so they're often worth browsing).

You may want a portable greenhouse. Featuring a Solaron cover these greenhouses can be great for those who don't grow year-round. When not in use, portable cold frame greenhouse kits can be collapsed and stored in a closet or under a bed

Cold frames trap moisture reducing the need for daily watering. The best place to install a cold frame is in a spot with a southern or southeastern exposure—make sure there is ample drainage. Cold frames are great for the grower who only needs room for eight mid-sized plants. Using PVC pipe fittings, it's possible to build your own walk-in greenhouse of any size.

Unfortunately, cold frames won't guard against harsh or sudden cold weather--additional steps must be taken. Experts recommend covering the structure with sacks of leaves or straw during the night. This is an excellent way to guard against sudden freezing--a surefire way to lose all of your plants.

Many growers encounter the same problem--they start small, but soon find they want more room. Fortunately, there are several types of greenhouses that are made to expand. A greenhouse made of PVC piping will easily refit, and Hobby Gardener is known for making adjustable-sized greenhouses.

Naturally, a cold frame greenhouse isn't best for large-scale growing operations. Also, a cold frame green house doesn't expand as easily as its full-sized companions, so if you want a cold frame but suspect you’ll need to expand later, buy an oversized cold frame to start out with..

Many Juliana greenhouses are known for their exceptional cold frame design. By using the Internet, many growers can find Juliana cold frame greenhouses starting at under $100. A recommended web vendor can also be a great way to browse from a variety of name-brand cold frame greenhouses.