Coldframes, home built

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1142215/#new
garyon, there, asked if anyone had coldframe experience.

I had the menfolk build me one a few years ago from an old storm door and the waste from taking apart a deck. It was very steep and tall, based on something I read about the angle of the glass. The door was on about a 45 degree angle. The back was then about three feet high. Problems! It got really roasting when the sun came out! Stuf just cooked!. and the door was very heavy in that position, dangerously hard to lift. I had them remove the door this year. The high back, facing due south, should warm this up well without the added boost of the glass.

You can't tell much from this picture but its all I can find. I am standing over it showing the groundhog hole RIGHT IN THE BLASTED THING. Talk about expecting breakfast in bed---grrrr

Thanks. And I forgot about the woodchucks. I have two glass panels from a shower I hope to use, and place them on a four foot square frame made from 2 x 6 material. I hope to keep it really simple. Can I winter-sow seeds directly? I plan to move pansy transplants to the frame in mid-March.

Grayson

Hm. A four foot square--how will you reach the middle? How will you hinge and/or lift those heavy panels? (maybe they aren't as heavy as my storm door was). The larger area may help stabilize the temp inside. I would say yes you will direct sow, and soon!
Those pansy transplants will not need much help by March and I'd watch they don't get too hot.
The steep angle of my glass gave me too little planting area.

Someone did some very nice wood boxes using squares of that wavy plastic sheeting, for lids, and posted pics last year.

Because of the dripline on the house, I will be placing it a few feet away from the house. I expect to be able to reach from all four sides. The glass is very thick plate glass, (and heavy) and not put into a frame. They are finished smooth on the edges. The two glass panels will be removable, giving me access. What do you think?

Grayson

When I read about coldframes they talk about opening the glass on sunny warmer days, later, and the putting it down at night. ( That gets to be one or two trips too many for me on maintaining the system.) So I suppose you can remove one or both, then put back on for night time.

We don't have cold frames but Ric use to use them way back before me. Sally is right you need to be able to prop it open on sunny days. I attended a lecture a couple of years ago the man grew award winning plants (Phila FS) and he grew them all in cold frames. Pansies like it cool and they need cool dark to germinate. When I germinated my pansy seeds a few years ago I put them in a back bedroom under the bed and kept the door closed so the room stayed cool.
You might like this site. Shows several different types. They are pretty basic
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?cat=388

I'm going back to Home Depot to get more lumber today to finish this thing off. I think I will be able to adjust the glass as needed for ventilation. I've changed the design from one 4 x 4 frame to to 4 x 2 ft frames. Your comments have helped me to think this out a little more. That will also be more flexible, so I can put them in two places.

I have been able to start pansies and violas in our basement, in the dark, where the temperatures are about 55 degrees. I continue to grow them there under lights once they get going. I usually plant them out in containers on April 1. Last year I grew "Bolero" and was disappointed in the color range, the character of the plant, and the flower form. They didn't seem as ruffled as the pictures in the catalogs. This year I'm trying a mix from Renee's, advertised as an heirloom variety. The violas I started from seed I collected last summer has germinated already. The first seedlings appeared in about a week.

I just looked out the window and the storm has started. We expect 2 -4 inches today, and another 12 - 18 inches tonight and tomorrow. I hate driving in this stuff. There are three snow shovels on the front porch. I will be looking for assistants.

Grayson

I only grew pansies from seed one year and did pretty well with them. But they are on the list of plants I can get thru my Hobby Greenhouse co-op and the are so cheap and so nice that I don't bother to start them by seed anymore. 36 plants for $12 and they are big enough to go right outside in the garden when I get them.
Good luck with your cold frame post pic if you can when you have it finished.

The co-op sounds like a great resourse. It does make sense to spend time, money and space growing more unusual plants.

I'll be pleased to post a picture when I'm done. I like show and tell.

Grayson

So do we!
"We expect 2 -4 inches today, and another 12 - 18 inches tonight and tomorrow." Down here that would nearly paralyze us for three days. Except that workers still seem to show up at Walmart and crazy shoppers too. But I'm OT.

I am planning to put spinach seed in my unglassed 'coldframe' and hope it warms enough to start earlier. I could put row cover over it to help that.

I

The coldframe is assembled, painted and I plan to put it in place this weekend. Thank you all for your suggestions; I made many improvements to my original design because of your help.

We are having some beautiful weather here close to 60* with the sun shining. Hope the weather is good up there while you get your cold frame in place.

I just made a design modification: don't use discarded shower doors for glass. While adjusting the glass on the cold frame this afternoon I banged it against the house foundation; it shattered into tiny pieces - lots of them. I found a sheet of plexi that fits to replace it.

They are tempered glass. That is why the thousands of little pieces. I have broke that before and it is a real mess. Much safer though as you don't get big cuts from tempered glass. If you can vac them up and keep them there are several craft projects using tempered glass.

...Like a Gazing Ball covered in bits of the glass....
Or--cover a Bowling ball.....You may even have enough to do an inlaid table-top?

Both have been posted somewhere in the past here....Pretty!

Gita