Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Notice how this cold frame has hinged glass panes that can be opened for better ventilation. More simple
boxes have to be opened by lifting the glass pane off the top.
(Photo courtesy of Steve Laurin)
Make sure you allow ventilation in your cold frame when the sun comes out, or your poor cold-
hardy plants will bake to death. I'm not saying I've done this—just giving you a friendly warning.
See Appendix A for a simple cold frame plan you can build yourself to save money.
Greenhouses
Greenhouses are a year-round way to help regulate the temperature of your plants so you can
extend your growing season. Some are even heated or lighted in the coldest winter days to allow
year-round production. I have friends living in mild zones who have been able to produce tomatoes
throughout the year. At the very least you'll be able to add weeks to your growing season!
Greenhouses vary even more than cold frames in their design and expense. The most elaborate are
huge walk-in structures with heat, automated ventilation systems, and large walkways. The most
simple are barely bookshelves covered in plastic and don't allow the gardener room to come inside
at all. And of course, there is everything in between. As with all garden accessories and structures,
you can buy kits for a higher price, or build your own as a way to save money.
If you're handy, you can build a simple but effective greenhouse rather easily. A wooden shed
structure about 4×8 can be built for just a couple hundred dollars. The frame can be wood with
greenhouse plastic stretched around it to allow the sunlight through. Of course, prebuilt options
are available commercially in almost any size and design imaginable.
