Looking for a design for a small, visqueen type cold frame for keeping seedlings warm during late winter. I'd like to get a jump on the weather.

Thanks... Otter

-- otter in NW Florida (kitchen@eng.fsu.edu), February 15, 2002

Answers

My grandma used 4 2x6s, couple nails on the ends, and put an old storm window over the top. Made a bit of a mound first, only a couple inches, because we get a lot of spring water around here. Worked good for her, cost less than $5, probably nothing. But I don't know what visqueen is....

--->Paul

-- paul (ramblerplm@hotmail.com), February 15, 2002.

Maybe this link will have helpful information: Cold Frame, http://lamer.lsu.edu/projects/coastalroots/pdf/Cold_Frame_Plans.pdf, These plans provide a means of building a cold frame from materials easily obtained from hardware and lumber stores, uses a 6' x 10' sheet of visquine.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

A piece of clear fiberglass roofing bowed over into a tunnel works great with end covers if neccesary.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 15, 2002.

hay or straw bales,,with an old window laid over,,how much more simple can you get?

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 15, 2002.

As a desert dweller, there is a large difference in the daytime high vs. the nighttime low in the spring here. The plants need to be uncovered during the day or they cook, and covered at night or they freeze. So, I bought, from the orange place, coils of wire, I think they were 9 guage? anyway, I found it in the fencing section. It's very thick, and requires big strong wire cutters to cut through it. I measured how tall I would want the hoop for a particular row of plants, and added about 16 inches to that figure (allowing for pushing the wire hoop 8 inches into the ground, and cut that much from the wire. I placed these hoops about every 2 feet or so, creating a tunnel. Then I took 1x3's, and used 6 mil plastic as the cover. I buried one edge of the plastic in the ground and stapled the other edge onto the 1x3's. I was careful to not make them any longer than 6' so as not to be unwieldly during use. It worked great! When it's too warm, I simply pick up the 1x3 and open it up over the hoop, laying it down on the ground, and reverse the process to cover up at night. The 1x3's are heavy enough to withstand all but the most fierce of winds, if you're careful to place them on the opposite side of your prevailing winds. The one thing I will change this season is I will use two 1x3's for each one, sandwiching the plastic between the two. By the end of the season (we get some really strong winds here all spring) many of them had had the plastic torn away from them since they were not sandwiched. Also I thought I would add, in our desert sun, the plastic only lasted one season. But, I had purchased one of the commercially sold hoop tunnels, a nice unit, but it didn't hold up nearly as well as my homemade ones. Good luck to you!

-- Katie (homesteader@accessnevada.com), February 15, 2002.

We found new housing developments throw away good 2x4's, plywood pieces, even screen doors. Good place to get materials for free. Couldn't see the cold frame pictures. Will try to see what I did wrong.

-- Hank (hsnrs@att.net), February 16, 2002.

Hank, Try this. Cold Frame Plans No photos but diagrams. Their plans call for lining the cold frame with a pond liner. I've never heard this before. After I finished with my cold frame this spring, I'll move it and use the same spot for annual plants. A pond liner would defeat this.

-- Bren (wayoutfarm@skybest.com), February 16, 2002.

I'm planning on using some of my pig panels for wind tunnels this spring. What I am going to do is buy some cheap clear plastic that comes in 25'X 10' rolls from wally-world.(found in the painting department) Take my 16' pig panels and wrap one side of them using duck tape to hold the plastic on. Make the plastic about 4' longer than the panels at the ends. Next place two T-post 16' apart where you have planted and place the wrapped panels in a upside down V shape over the beds. Tying the ends to the T-post and tying the panels together at the top every 6'. Wrap the extra plastic over the openings on the ends at night and unwrap in the morning so wind can come through to keep from burning the plants up during the day.

This method should get us a good start on our vegies this spring.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), February 16, 2002.