Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Wa ll O' Water.
These are similar to cloches in that they individually surround each plant. Wall
O' Water are applied individually around each plant and can provide protection down to 16°F to
20°F! Wall O' Water aren't closed at the top, however, so they give you a bit more leeway if you
don't get them removed as soon as the sun comes up. They offer excellent protection from cold.
The downside to these in the backyard farm is that they can be costly to purchase, and labor
intensive as each unit has to be filled with water and placed. On a larger scale, this is probably not
the best option.
Cold Frames
A more permanent and effective step up from a row cover is a cold frame. A cold frame is a box,
topped with glass, which is set into a garden space. Plants are then grown inside, either planted
directly in the ground, or grown in containers housed inside the cold frame.
On a diFFerent Scale
When I say that cold frames can be amazingly simple, I mean it. One year, I repurposed an old fish tank that
had cracked but not broken as a temporary cold frame structure when a late frost caught me off guard.
I simply flipped the aquarium upside down over my newly sprouted seedlings and didn't lose a single one!
Not fancy, by any means, but it worked in a pinch.
Cold frames can be very elaborate, or amazingly simple. At the most costly and permanent end of
the spectrum, I've seen bricked boxes with hinged windows on automatic openers. At the simplest
end of the spectrum I've seen hay bales arranged loosely into a square shape with plastic stretched
across the top. Both are surprisingly effective means for extending your growing season.
This cold frame is angled to allow more sunlight to shine in. You would want to face the low side toward the
south if gardening in the Northern Hemisphere.
(Photo courtesy of Steve Laurin)
