Constructng a Cold Frame - for Winter Gardening - A Permaculture Build Project ~ 610 Kirby Permaculture ` For more information, Please see websites below: ` Organic Edible Schoolyards & Gardening with Children = http://scribd.com/doc/239851214 ~ ` Double Food Production from your School Garden with Organic Tech = http://scribd.com/doc/239851079 ~ ` Free School Gardening Art Posters = http://scribd.com/doc/239851159 ~ ` Increase Food Production with Companion Planting in your School Garden = http://scribd.com/doc/239851159 ~ ` Healthy Foods Dramatically Improves Student Academic Success = http://scribd.com/doc/239851348 ~ ` City Chickens for your Organic School Garden = http://scribd.com/doc/239850440 ~ ` Huerto Ecológico, Tecnologías Sostenibles, Agricultura Organica http://scribd.com/doc/239850233 ` Simple Square Foot Gardening for Schools - Teacher Guide = http://scribd.com/doc/239851110 ~

1. Construc)ng
a
Cold
Frame
Permaculture
Build
Project
Cayce
Lee
Fall
2010

2. • The
simplest
way
to
improve
growing
condi)ons
during
cold
weather
is
to
find,
create,
or
improve
warm
and
sheltered
spots.
• Building
a
cold
frame
is
an
easy
way
to
grow
edibles
during
the
winter,
or
to
start
plants
from
seeds
in
the
spring.

3. • A
What
is
a
cold
frame?
cold
frame
is
basically
a
box
with
a
glass
(or
plas)c)
top
and
no
boIom
that
sits
on
the
soil.
• A
cold
frame
lessens
climac)c
stress
by
affec)ng:
– Temperature:
a
single
layer
of
glass
can
increase
the
temperature
inside
the
cold
frame
from
between
7-­‐20
degrees.
– Moisture:
Less
moisture
on
the
plants
means
less
stress
from
freezing.
– Wind:
Provides
a
windbreak
for
plants,
removing
the
windchill
factor.

4. Plants
to
Grow
in
a
Cold
Frame

5. Star)ng
Seedlings
• Cold
frames
can
also
serve
as
a
greenhouse
for
star)ng
seedlings.
• Seedlings
started
in
a
cold
frame
are
hardy
because
they
are
not
ar)ficially
heated.
•
Watering
is
also
less
important
because
the
seedlings
are
connected
to
the
earth
and
can’t
dry
out
as
quickly
as
they
would
in
a
flat.

6. Temperature
Control
• Keep
a
thermometer
in
the
frame
to
monitor
heat
(on
the
soil
is
most
accurate)
• Vent
excess
heat
out
of
the
top
by
propping
glass
up
• Aim
for
70
degrees
in
the
spring
and
60
to
65
degrees
in
the
fall
“The
ideal
is
to
keep
crops
growing
steadily
in
this
protected
environment,
but
not
to
overheat
them.
With
cold
frames,
it
is
always
beIer
to
err
on
the
cool
side
and
vent
the
frames
excessively
rather
than
to
run
them
too
warm.
Very
cold
condi)ons
are
inevitable
as
winter
arrives,
and
the
so],
succulent
)ssues
of
plants
that
have
been
grown
at
too
high
temperatures
will
not
be
as
hardy.
Once
winter
arrives
the
system
is
basically
dormant.
Your
winter
food
is
not
dependent
on
sunny
weather
for
warmth
because
it
is
already
grown.
Cloudy
days
with
frame
temperatures
in
the
30s
and
40s
are
fine.
The
cold
nights
are
no
problem,
since
the
winter
food
plants
don’t
mind
freezing.
As
long
as
the
temperature
in
the
plants
gets
above
freezing
every
few
days
so
the
plants
can
thaw
naturally
before
you
harvest,
all
will
be
well.”
-­‐Eric
Coleman

7. Project
Plan
While
you
can
make
a
cold
frame
with
a
level
lid,
an
angled
top
is
best
for
allowing
maximum
sunlight.
The
direc)ons
I
looked
at
suggested
a
depth
of
12
inches
for
the
front
of
the
box
and
18
inches
for
the
back,
so
I
tried
to
get
close
to
those
measurements
with
the
reclaimed
boards
I
used.
The
length
of
the
sides
were
built
to
match
the
size
of
the
window
I
used
for
my
lid.

8. Materials
and
Tools
Window
for
lid
Reclaimed
wood
(2’x4’s)
for
sides
1”x2”
wood
for
side
braces
2
hinges
Handle
Spray
paint
to
paint
handle
Tools
for
cuhng
wood
(Mitre
saw
and
bandsaw)
Power
drill
and
screws
Hammer
and
nails
Ruler
Pencil

9. Step
1
Measure
and
cut
the
wood
for
the
sides
of
your
cold
frame
to
match
the
dimensions
of
your
top
(window).
Then
use
your
1”x2”wood
to
cut
braces
to
connect
the
boards
together.
(Angle
the
top
edge
of
the
braces
for
the
back
sides
to
accommodate
the
slope
of
the
window.)

10. Step
2
Nail
the
wood
boards
for
the
front
and
back
sides
together
using
the
wooden
braces.

11. Nail
the
side
boards
to
the
front
and
back
of
the
box,
but
only
up
to
the
height
of
the
front
side.
Step
3

12. Turn
the
box
on
its
side
with
the
window
connec)ng
the
back
to
the
front
of
the
box
and
trace
the
correct
angle
to
cut
the
remaining
boards
for
the
sides.
Step
4
Cut
the
angled
boards
and
nail
to
the
back
side
of
the
box.

13. Step
5
Cut
and
nail
more
braces
with
the
1”x2”
wood
for
the
sides.
Be
sure
to
angle
the
top
edge
to
match
the
slope
of
the
sides.

14. Step
6
Add
triangular
corner
braces
to
stabilize
structure
of
box.

15. Step
7
Screw
hinges
on
onto
the
interior
side
of
the
window
and
the
back
of
the
box.

16. Step
8
Paint
(if
desired)
and
screw
on
the
handle.

17. Finished
Cold
Frame

18. Expenses
Reclaimed
Wood
FREE
(discarded
on
side
of
curb
by
a
neighbor)
1”x
2”
Wood
FREE
(found
in
my
basement)
Window
FREE
(discard
from
Habitat
Restore)
Hinges
and
Handle
$7
(from
Habitat
Restore)
Nails
and
Screws
FREE
(from
my
toolbox)
Spray
paint
FREE
(le]
over
from
previous
project)
TOTAL
COST
$7

19. References
1.
Coleman,
Eliot.
The
New
Organic
Grower
:
A
Master's
Manual
of
Tools
and
Techniques
for
the
Home
and
Market
Gardener.
Chelsea,
Vt:
Chelsea
Green,
1989.
See
chapter
19
“Season
Extension”
which
has
informaFon
on
climate
modificaFon
by
construcFng
shelters
for
plants
(i.e.
low
covers,
cold
frames,
greenhouses,
etc.).
2.
-­‐-­‐-­‐
The
New
Organic
Grower's
Four-­‐Season
Harvest
:
How
to
Harvest
Fresh
Organic
Vegetables
from
Your
Home
Garden
all
Year
Long.
Post
Mills,
VT:
Chelsea
Green
Pub.,
1992.
See
chapters
5
and
6
on
“The
Covered
Garden:
Cold
Frames
and
Garden
Tunnels”
and
chapter
7
“The
Underground
Garden:
Root
Cellars
and
Indoor
HarvesFng.”

20. References
3.
-­‐-­‐-­‐”A
Garden
for
All
Seasons:
Gardening
on
the
Back
Side
of
the
Calendar.”
Mother
Earth
News,
Issue
178,
Feb/March
2000.
www.fourseasonfarm.com
(Barbara
Damrosch
and
Eliot
Coleman’s
experimental
market
garden
in
Harborside,
Maine)
Easy
to
read
arFcle
on
growing
edibles
in
winter.
4.
Kreiter,
Ted.
“Garden
All
Winter
Long.”
Saturday
Evening
Post;
Jan/Feb
2010,
Vol.
282
Issue
1.
p.50-­‐51,
2p.
Easy
to
follow
instrucFons
on
building
a
cold
frame.