{"id":13717,"date":"2013-01-18T13:42:11","date_gmt":"2013-01-18T18:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/blog\/?p=423"},"modified":"2013-01-18T13:42:11","modified_gmt":"2013-01-18T18:42:11","slug":"d-i-y-fridays-building-a-cold-frame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/d-i-y-fridays-building-a-cold-frame\/","title":{"rendered":"D.I.Y. Fridays – Building a Cold Frame"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Nicole Wines<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The first Ra\u00edces cold frame, under construction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It’s been a mild winter in central NJ. \u00a0The warm days have us already anticipating the beginning of our planting season, really just a few weeks away for the cool weather crops. \u00a0We just worked out our seed order with a group of gardening friends and Ra\u00edces Eco-Culture supporters and can\u2019t wait to get planting this spring. \u00a0There are probably still a few more freezes and frosts coming before we start spending long days outside again, but just because this isn\u2019t the height of the gardening season it doesn\u2019t mean that we aren\u2019t working on our micro farm plots.\u00a0 For many gardeners, the winter months are for planning and preparing for spring, reflecting and researching, learning, studying and taking the time to work on projects, like the one featured in this post, to enhance their garden spaces.<\/p>\n

In 2012, the Ra\u00edces crew cultivated enough produce from our small patches of land that we were able to feed ourselves mostly from our own garden plants. \u00a0Whatever we couldn’t grow enough of, we could find in abundance at the farmers\u2019 market, all organic and locally grown. \u00a0We weren\u2019t looking forward to the winter, when our gardens would lay dormant and empty, and we would have to venture to the local food co-op for our organic produce.\u00a0 But as the traditional growing season came to an end, we became inspired to figure out how to extend our gardening season into the winter so we could continue to eat fresh, homegrown food.<\/p>\n

\"Floating<\/a><\/p>\n

Covering crops with floating row covers protected our plants from the first frosts of the season and allowed us an extra harvest of black beans, green beans, lettuce and heirloom tomatoes.\u00a0 Plans for a greenhouse or high tunnel rolled through our minds, but without the materials or the amount of land needed to get to work on that, we adapted our ideas to the scale of one of our garden plots.\u00a0 We chose a plot that is filled with raised beds and decided to begin building removable cold frames to turn our beds into mini-green houses.<\/p>\n

\"Our<\/a>
Our First Cold Frame\/Mini Greenhouse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We completed our first cold frame in November and so far it’s kept the soil in the raised bed from freezing and a set of carrots, kale and lettuce growing inside of it this winter. \u00a0When we harvest in a month or two, we will be able to plant a seed bed inside, a few weeks earlier than we normally would in our climate zone.<\/p>\n

There are many benefits to building your own cold frame.\u00a0 You can custom design it according to the size you need, you have a better idea of where your materials come from, you can extend your growing season and keep garden critters out and when it\u2019s installed in your garden, you can look at it and say \u201cI made that!!!\u201d.\u00a0 If you get started now, you could make a few before the beginning of spring, and start planting a few weeks early.\u00a0 Ours was made almost entirely out of recycled and reused materials (except for the caulking).\u00a0 There are many different designs and plans available online, but for a little inspiration, we wanted to share how we made ours:<\/p>\n

Materials Used<\/strong><\/p>\n