How to Build a Simple & Inexpensive Cold Frame to Extend the Growing Season
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2017
- How to Build a Simple & Inexpensive Cold Frame to Extend the Growing Season
Step by Step Instructions:
0:45 Materials: storm window, 2 by 12 for back and side panels, 2 by 8 for front panel, sixteen 3" deck screws, two roofing nails
1:14 Cut front & back panels to 3/4" to 1" wider than storm window
2:15 Cut 2 by 12 side panels to length
2:34 Length of side panel = window length + 1" - 3"
3:46 Cut 2 by 12 side panels from width of 2 by 12 back panel to width of 2 by 8 front panel (the cut side will be the bottom of the cold frame)
4:46 Drill pilot holes with countersink bit (5 on each side of back panel and 3 on each side of front panel)
5:31 Connect panels with sixteen 3" deck screws (5 on each side of back panel and 3 on each side of front panel)
6:28 Drive 2 roofing nails near front edge of front panel to hold storm window in place
6:57 Place storm window on frame
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Step by Step Instructions:
0:45 Materials: storm window, 2 by 12 for back and side panels, 2 by 8 for front panel, sixteen 3" deck screws, two roofing nails
1:14 Cut front & back panels to 3/4" to 1" wider than storm window
2:15 Cut 2 by 12 side panels to length
2:34 Length of side panel = window length + 1" - 3"
3:46 Cut 2 by 12 side panels from width of 2 by 12 back panel to width of 2 by 8 front panel (the cut side will be the bottom of the cold frame)
4:46 Drill pilot holes with countersink bit (5 on each side of back panel and 3 on each side of front panel)
5:31 Connect panels with sixteen 3" deck screws (5 on each side of back panel and 3 on each side of front panel)
6:28 Drive 2 roofing nails near front edge of front panel to hold storm window in place
6:57 Place storm window on frame
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A frame built on one day, keeps the cold frost of many winter days away. ☝👍 Yes? ☺ (rhyming ditty mine, lol) Love your videos, P. Oscar is quite a feisty outdoors buddy, hahaha, but you're still gentle with him, I like that.
Thanks, Rebecca! It'll be frosty here before we know it. Yeah, Oscar is a feisty little guy for sure.
i love your cat! he's kinda like a dog/cat
Yeah, he thinks he's a puppy.
I have one cold frame my husband built for me.It has hinges on it and I prop it open with a stick.I like the way
you made yours as well.Hope everyone gets inspired with your video, they really are nice to have.
I'm glad you enjoy growing under cover too!
I love how you teach this! It's perfect for any amateur, or even for females who've never done this before! Very simple, i love it!
I will have to try this next year Patrick. Thanks for the how-to!
You're welcome, Lucas!
What camera and editing software do you use for your videos?
Hi Lucas! I use a Canon Vixia HFR400 camera. Canon doesn't make them anymore, but the other VIXIA cameras are similar. I use PowerDirector for editing.
hey man, i gotta say you might be my favourite youtube gardener. i've learned so much from your evidence based gardening methods and am doing my best with my tiny inner suburban front yard here in australia. thanks for all the great information delivered in a matter of fact but warm manner.
Wow, that's very nice of you to say! Have a great summer!
Agreed!!
Thank you, Patrick! :)
simple and straight forward.. great video..
Oscar cracks me up!
Me too! 😸
very inspiring.
Thank you!
Your channel must be the only one where I habitually laugh out loud when watching - Oscar attacking the leg, so cool. Great easy to follow instructions on how to build a cold frame, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Helle! I'm glad you enjoy Oscar's antics too. He definitely keeps us smiling.
Love the cat!
Oscar says "Who cares about cold frames Human! It is I, Oscar the mighty hunter!... Dog goes Woof!, and the mighty hunter goes What was that? Run for your lives! Lol
Impeccable timing as always Patrick! New garden plans have been running thru my mind all day! This was the piece of resistance...in a manner of speaking....thanks again for your hard work!
Please let me know how the cold frame build goes, Jill! Oscar usually isn't afraid of dogs at all. I think reacted that way to get a laugh. LOL
Love this Jill! I have a cat that looks just like Oscar only he weighs close to 20 pounds! His attitude is just like Oscar too! One minute he is loving on me the next he attacks my leg or arm or whatever he can reach as I somehow offended him!
That was a good video and I like your cold frame
Thanks, Jackie!
Awesome video Patrick! Always packed with so much value.
Thanks, James!
I have always been intimidated about building cold frames, due to the slanting of the sides. After watching your video, which was very informative and easy to comprehend, I do believe I could build one now. Thank you so much, Patrick, for ALL you help. Love little Oscar.
You're welcome! If you decide to build one, check out the first comment on the video for step by step instructions.
Go for it! What's the worst that can happen? 15 degrees slope is not 'optimal' for where you are? Life is long. Change it next year. You'll never will know what you can succeed at until you even try. Even 'failures' teach us. BTDT, OWN the T-shirts.....LOL.
Nice work
Thanks!
I've gotta keep my eye peeled for a window. People here in the suburbs are always updating:-)
Good luck finding some windows, Portia! Yeah, they're pretty easy to find in the suburbs if you're on the lookout for them.
Oh you make it look so simple. You are so inspiring. Sending you some flowers I grew earlier 🌸🌸🌸🌷🌸🌸🌸
Thanks for the flowers, Lesley! 🌸🌷
Nice video. Something I will definitely try. Fresh greens mid-winter will be a welcome treat. Thanks
Thanks, Mark!
You always seem to have the best timing with your videos. We just came into some old windows and are looking to build some cold frames out of them. Thanks again!
+Em Fo....Nice score! Go for it! Use the heck out of that free glass. Scrounge up some free pallets and your possibilities become unlimited. I just built a BIG 'solar' dehydrator from 'free' materials. All I had to buy was about 60 bucks in 1/4" hardware cloth and a few nails. Continue to think outside the box!
You're welcome! I'm glad the video was timely.
Awesome video! :)
Thanks, Peaches!
Excellent job. I have saved some old windows just for this purpose. Ocar is so adorable. Thank you for sharing. I have never grown in a cold frame. With your sage advice I plan to achieve this objective.;)
Thanks, Pam! Best wishes with your cold frames. Oscar says hi!
Thanks for sharing and God Bless
You're welcome!
Great tutorial! When I get ready, I'll come back to this video. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Fatima!
I am hopefully going to be building my own cold frames for the first time soon and this was very helpful. Thanks for posting it!
You're welcome! best wishes with your cold frame build.
Oscar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
😸
Thanks for sharing your coldframe construction!
P.S. Oscar is the best.
You're welcome!
Great video. I especially like your tip on using the roofing nails to secure the bottom: Clever.
Thanks!
You are the best gardening UA-camr out there. Don't ever stop! I appreciate your knowledge and expertise that you share for free. Hi from Green Bay, Wisc
Thanks Andrew!
Thank's for all the inspiring videos you do, Patrick. They are filled with lots of helpful info and instructions. I just love watching them and where I live on the westcoast in Sweden is very much comparable to Chicago, so this winter I will certainly try to grow vegetables in a hoop house and cold frames ..... 🌱🐛🐝🦋🐞🌿
My pleasure, Kristina! Best wishes with your winter garden.
Awesome cold frame !! Beautiful cat !! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience and skills
Thanks! It's my pleasure.
Soooo helpful! Thank you very much :)
You're welcome, Mandi!
Excellent video Patrick. You may want to check a wood preservation method called Shou sugi ban. It's done either with a gas torch or a simple fire pit. It could help extend the life of the frames.
Thanks, Kostas! The cold frames last a very long time because they're only on the ground from mid-Fall to early spring. The ground is frozen most of the time, so not much decay occurs.
Great info!
Thanks, James!
Nice little build. I would ask how well it works but I have seen others just like it doing wonders in your garden :) Thanks for sharing :)
Nice job. Great timing for you and Oscar that dog saved your life lol.
Thanks, Dave! LOL The dog must have known I was in serious trouble. LOL
Hello from Mc Henry! Thank you for posting this vid, cold frames are exactly what I need! 😍 my SIL is on the 4700 n. Kilpatrick block, she has 6 hens, so if you need chicken poop for composting, lmk,, 😝 Thanks for all your vids, I've really learned a lot, I'm going on my 5th year of organic gardening and I LOVE IT! Xoxo
You're very welcome! I wish the suburbs were as lenient about keeping chickens as the city is. Best wishes with your garden!
Excellent video as usual! I've been using cold frames for years (on my 4 ft sq beds). My covers are a little more complex, simply because I always make things more complicated than they need to be. Sigh. While you alluded to it in your video, one must pay particular attention to venting the frames anytime the sun is shining - I've had several instances of "roasted seedlings" to relay this experience. Cheers.
Thanks, Ron! You're right. I plan on doing a video on venting soon.
simple and effective. Very nice sir!
I need to make a cold frame for some raised beds and your design looks about perfect for what I'd like to do. I'll need to upsize it to cover my 4x8 beds... hmm, need to think about that one for a bit.
Btw, I especially like the fact that there are no hinges. Simple solutions for the win!
Thanks, Davin! Best wishes with your cold frame build!
Thank you for the informative videos! I will be trying to watch my yard this year to find out where I can put a winter garden. I'm in Michigan, and my summer veggie patch is in our backyard, which is the north side of our home right up against the house. We have huge maple trees, too, that I tap for syrup, but otherwise shade out much of my yard, so I have a definite challenge on my hands for finding a spot that gets good sunlight!
You're welcome, Jeannie! I hope you find a spot!
Great video. They look very attractive, and easy to make too, thanks! :) I'm not the most confident builder, but this I think I could manage. Not even hinges! Easy solutions that work are the best. Haha, Oscar is such a viscious killer :D Thanks for the continued inspiration Patrick.
Thanks, Inger! I'm glad the video was helpful! Oscar was in rare form that day!
Oscar's not so tough when he heard that dog bark, LOL
LOL! Usually he's not afraid of dogs at all. I think the bark just surprised him.
It looked to me to be more of "'Scuse me while I go shut that dog up."
LOL
Watching you use the two by eight reminds me of when I build raised beds at my mom's house. I think the wood is still there but it's severely warped.
Yeah, you'll need some straight ones. 🙂
Nice! The only thing I'D have done differently would be to leave the full 'pressure treated' 2X4 lumber uncut and sloped the other side. Also, I tend use to use a LOT of 'salvaged' oak from selected pallets. Lasts WAY longer than Doug Fir. But still, well done Patrick, WELL done.
Thanks! These cold frames last a very long time - certainly well over a decade. I've been doing this a long time and have yet to retire a cold frame.
No argument there. But now that I have Grand Kids, I tend to think way farther into the future. My prayer is that you and your wife get the chance to experience the joy I have.
Would love to see a video on your inside set up for starting seeds and plants.
I have a very simple grow room setup. This video shows it: ua-cam.com/video/gbOutqj4zcY/v-deo.html
Thanks Patrick, did the light's add enough warm for starting seeds during the end of winter for spring plants?
Yes, we don't use heat mats.
Another great video Patrick! Thanks for sharing your experience and expertise. I've been gathering some materials to re-purpose for my own cold frames! Did you ever release a video on venting your cold frames? I didn't see a link pop up at the end. Thanks again.
Thanks Adam! Here's a video on venting: ua-cam.com/video/nH3MfpnUInI/v-deo.html
Enjoy your informative videos, thank you. QUESTION: would you have a link to a reasoiece ro calculate the angle of the glass for different zones?
Thanks, Sandra! Some sources recommend adding 15 to 20 degrees to your latitude, but most of my cold frames aren't nearly that steep. In the fall, I place my cold frames over plants that are already growing, and they're close enough to the top of the cold frame to get sun.
Great video. Question: Will you start seeds in cold frames outside as well versus inside under a grow light and heated area?
I'll direct sow almost all of my cool weather crops next spring. I'll also only direct sow cucumbers and squash under cold frames. However, I will start at least half of my tomatoes inside.
Two cheap clamps from Harbor freight would make any more cutting you have to do on that plastic horse, a lot safer and quicker!
When do you plant your cold frame for fall crops? Seedlings or direct seed?
Hi Sandra! I plant in summer for the fall. I direct seed when there's space available. Otherwise, I start seeds in pots and transplant them later. When temps start dipping below freezing, I'll place this cold frame over crops that are already growing. If you haven't planted for the fall yet, you may be able to find lettuce, kale, and Swiss chard plants at a local nursery. This is the planting schedule I follow: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1X5MCitLZFTwf1p332kO-4l9BStB2DPcTnbx-0xcqVTA/edit?usp=sharing I hope this helps!
Could I add an automatic vent to the top part of the frame, or do I need a more elaborate hinge?
Hi Adam! I think you'd want a hinge to use an automatic opener. So far, all of the non-electric automatic openers I've seen only work when it's above freezing. I don't even use my cold frames in the fall until temperatures dip below freezing, so none of the ones I've seen would work for me. Please let me know if you find one that can be used when temps are below freezing. Thanks!
One question. Shouldn't the angle be more steep in order to be close to perpendicular to the winter sun rays?
You can make the top steeper. In the fall, I place these over crops that are already growing, so the plants are close enough to the top to get plenty of sun.
How do you prevent wind from turning the glass into a frisbee?
If you need to vent on a windy day, you can slide the glass back instead of lift it, and weigh it down with a brick or some other heavy object placed near the frame.
If i may ask: any benefit directly related to the plants -- of a cold frame vs low tunnel, or is it all about mobility of the frame and ease of cost and fabrication? Cheers man, love the channel.
Thanks, Jason! They're similar. I suspect that cold frames offer more protection, but I haven't measured temperature differences. I like the low cost and portability of cold frames.
Thank you, sir.
Thank you, sir.
the wood doesn't rot during rain/snow?
Yes, some decay occurs in winter, especially if your winters aren't very cold. It's cold enough here that it's not much of a problem.
One question, what was that long skinny black thing coming out of the end of your drill?
It's a countersink drill bit. Pre-drilling holes with this bit prevents screws from splitting the wood.
+OYR Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening I was being sarcastic talking about the electrical cord nobody uses real electric drills anymore😵
Oh. As long as that drill keeps working, I'm going to stick with it. LOL
I'm a nobody, too! ;) I still use dad's drill that he used in the 1960s. (I never need to push down, gravity and the drill's weight take care of that!)
I am a only a 2nd year gardener and I want to make a cold frame. I have 2 windows which I was going to make a cold frame with. My question is if the cold frame actually needs to slope. If I can make it so it's flat.
Hi Doreen! The slant is important because it increases sunlight on plants.
OYR Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening okay thank you. I am more comfortable with making the slant since your video described how to make it in detail. It was very understandable. Can the slant face toward the East?
In the northern hemisphere, it should slant toward the south. In the southern hemisphere, toward the north.
the one thing that "worries" me is how those light aluminum windows don't fly away in the wind
If you need to vent on a windy day, you can slide the window back instead of prop it open, and you can place a weight on it near the back of the frame.
Hi
Patrick! Safety glasses! Please!!!!
On todays episode of this old house/this old garden, were gunna be building stuff; with TOOLS!!!!!
LOL
He’s should have his own gardening show on TV. I bet he could get the masses interested in growing their own veggies.
No safety glasses?!?!?!
I recommend Woodglut to every beginner and not only.