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What is a cold frame? 
A cold frame is a basically a box for planting with no bottom and a slanted top. They’re built low to the ground, and used to protect plants from cold temperatures. The top of a cold frame is typically built with a thick, sturdy opaque plastic. They let light and warmth in during the day, and retain that heat at 
night. 
In a cold frame, you can plant earlier and extend your season further into the Fall and Winter. Some crops can grow year round in a cold frame, even in our mountain climate. Since they have no bottom, you plant directly into the soil underneath the frame. The top of the frame is slanted to maximize exposure to the sun (south facing is best in our hemisphere). Cold frames are easy to build, don’t take up much space, and have an amazing array of benefits to the 
Flagstaff gardener. 
We have a short growing season, high winds, and cold nights. Cold frames remedy all of these challenges to Flagstaff gardening. You can even grow food 12 months out the year in your cold 
frame! 
Resources 
Text: 
Coleman, Eliot. (1999). Four season harvest: organic vegetables from your home garden all year long. Chelsea Green: White River Junction, Vermont. 
Flagstaff Contacts: 
Joe Costion. Sustainable Construction, Coconino Community College. Joe.Costion@coconino.edu. 
ERIC Building Supply. 2112 N. West St. 928-774-3732. 
Flagstaff Permaculture Guild. http://flagstaffpermaculture.ning.com/ 
Mountain Meadow Farm. 928-527-0986 http://www.mountainmeadowfarm.org 
Patrick Pynes. Professor, Northern Arizona University and Proprietor of Earth Gardener. Patrick.Pynes@nau.edu 
Josh Robinson. Eden on Earth Landscaping. 928-853- 9716. http://www.EdenOnEarthLandscaping.com 
Cold Frames: A Flagstaff Guide 
Ian Dixon-McDonald 
Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening (SSLUG). 
Northern Arizona University. 
Made by Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening 
Come see our garden at Northern Arizona University, behind SBS West. 
SSLUG 
PO Box 6036 Flagstaff, AZ86011 
gardensslug@gmail.com 
www.gardensslug.org
Grow food year round in your cold frame! Once you have your supplies, build a box to the dimensions of the shower door. Ideally, have the front of your frame about 12 in. high, and the back 18 in. Cut your side panels in angles to create the slopped top. Use scrap wood as braces in the corners. Now flip over the frame. This way, the upward side is the size of the shower door (the slanted side will be larger). Add the lid. Use screws, nails and L-brackets to prevent the lid from sliding around. Using a piece of scrap wood, create a support to prop open the door. Put your cold frame in south-facing, warm location, ideally next to a south-facing wall. Plant your cold frame with greens during the winter months, and start heat-loving plants early. You can also use your cold frame as a mini greenhouse – start seeds in it and transplant out in the early summer. Keep the lid propped open during most days (the hotter it is, the more open you want it). Only close during the day during snowstorms, high winds, and extreme cold. Keep closed at night. See See 
How to build your cold frame 
So you’ve been convinced and you’re ready to build your cold frame? A cold frame is a very simple carpentry project. I had almost zero carpentry experience, and built my cold frame in day. Let’s get started! (see www.gardensslug.org/coldframe for a much more in-depth how to on building your cold frame) 
Supplies: An opaque shower door. Thick, heavy, and with a handle. (ERICs Building Supply is the place for this - $5 a door). Lumber. Four 8 foot 2x12s Various scrap wood. Try ERICs, Home Depot’s scrap pile or Ace Hardware. Insulation (optional). 6’x4’x1” sheets are pretty cheap at Home Depot. Tools: a circular saw, table saw and electric drill will make the job a lot easier, but you could do it with a regular saw, hammer, nails, and lots of elbow grease. 
An opaque shower door. Thick, heavy, and with a handle. (ERICs Building Supply is the place for this - $5 a door). If you have the cash, you can purchase Lexan plastic for the lid (see Joe Costion in Resources, it’s about $30 for an 8’x4’ sheet), but an old shower door seems to work fine. I would not recommend a clear glass window, as it will probably get too hot and fry your plants. Lumber. Four 8 foot 2x12s Various scrap wood. For the wood try ERICs, Home Depot’s scrap pile, Ace Hardware, or Lumberman’s. Insulation (optional). 6’x4’x1” sheets are pretty cheap at Home Depot. Tools: a circular saw, table saw and electric drill will make the job a lot easier, but you could do it with a regular saw, hammer, nails, and lots of elbow grease. 
see www.gardensslug.org/coldframe for a more detailed how to.

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Cold Frames - A Guide for Winter Gardening in Flagstaff, Arizona

  • 1. What is a cold frame? A cold frame is a basically a box for planting with no bottom and a slanted top. They’re built low to the ground, and used to protect plants from cold temperatures. The top of a cold frame is typically built with a thick, sturdy opaque plastic. They let light and warmth in during the day, and retain that heat at night. In a cold frame, you can plant earlier and extend your season further into the Fall and Winter. Some crops can grow year round in a cold frame, even in our mountain climate. Since they have no bottom, you plant directly into the soil underneath the frame. The top of the frame is slanted to maximize exposure to the sun (south facing is best in our hemisphere). Cold frames are easy to build, don’t take up much space, and have an amazing array of benefits to the Flagstaff gardener. We have a short growing season, high winds, and cold nights. Cold frames remedy all of these challenges to Flagstaff gardening. You can even grow food 12 months out the year in your cold frame! Resources Text: Coleman, Eliot. (1999). Four season harvest: organic vegetables from your home garden all year long. Chelsea Green: White River Junction, Vermont. Flagstaff Contacts: Joe Costion. Sustainable Construction, Coconino Community College. Joe.Costion@coconino.edu. ERIC Building Supply. 2112 N. West St. 928-774-3732. Flagstaff Permaculture Guild. http://flagstaffpermaculture.ning.com/ Mountain Meadow Farm. 928-527-0986 http://www.mountainmeadowfarm.org Patrick Pynes. Professor, Northern Arizona University and Proprietor of Earth Gardener. Patrick.Pynes@nau.edu Josh Robinson. Eden on Earth Landscaping. 928-853- 9716. http://www.EdenOnEarthLandscaping.com Cold Frames: A Flagstaff Guide Ian Dixon-McDonald Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening (SSLUG). Northern Arizona University. Made by Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening Come see our garden at Northern Arizona University, behind SBS West. SSLUG PO Box 6036 Flagstaff, AZ86011 gardensslug@gmail.com www.gardensslug.org
  • 2. Grow food year round in your cold frame! Once you have your supplies, build a box to the dimensions of the shower door. Ideally, have the front of your frame about 12 in. high, and the back 18 in. Cut your side panels in angles to create the slopped top. Use scrap wood as braces in the corners. Now flip over the frame. This way, the upward side is the size of the shower door (the slanted side will be larger). Add the lid. Use screws, nails and L-brackets to prevent the lid from sliding around. Using a piece of scrap wood, create a support to prop open the door. Put your cold frame in south-facing, warm location, ideally next to a south-facing wall. Plant your cold frame with greens during the winter months, and start heat-loving plants early. You can also use your cold frame as a mini greenhouse – start seeds in it and transplant out in the early summer. Keep the lid propped open during most days (the hotter it is, the more open you want it). Only close during the day during snowstorms, high winds, and extreme cold. Keep closed at night. See See How to build your cold frame So you’ve been convinced and you’re ready to build your cold frame? A cold frame is a very simple carpentry project. I had almost zero carpentry experience, and built my cold frame in day. Let’s get started! (see www.gardensslug.org/coldframe for a much more in-depth how to on building your cold frame) Supplies: An opaque shower door. Thick, heavy, and with a handle. (ERICs Building Supply is the place for this - $5 a door). Lumber. Four 8 foot 2x12s Various scrap wood. Try ERICs, Home Depot’s scrap pile or Ace Hardware. Insulation (optional). 6’x4’x1” sheets are pretty cheap at Home Depot. Tools: a circular saw, table saw and electric drill will make the job a lot easier, but you could do it with a regular saw, hammer, nails, and lots of elbow grease. An opaque shower door. Thick, heavy, and with a handle. (ERICs Building Supply is the place for this - $5 a door). If you have the cash, you can purchase Lexan plastic for the lid (see Joe Costion in Resources, it’s about $30 for an 8’x4’ sheet), but an old shower door seems to work fine. I would not recommend a clear glass window, as it will probably get too hot and fry your plants. Lumber. Four 8 foot 2x12s Various scrap wood. For the wood try ERICs, Home Depot’s scrap pile, Ace Hardware, or Lumberman’s. Insulation (optional). 6’x4’x1” sheets are pretty cheap at Home Depot. Tools: a circular saw, table saw and electric drill will make the job a lot easier, but you could do it with a regular saw, hammer, nails, and lots of elbow grease. see www.gardensslug.org/coldframe for a more detailed how to.