Cold Frame help please

CSandL

The OH would like a cold frame so I am after some advice please :beer:
We don't really want to spend the earth but we are not very DIY :rotfl:.

Can anyone advise the easiest way to construct one/the best place to buy a fairly cheap one?

Any advise extremely gratefully received.

Thanks all.

kings981

Hi last year I built myself a small coldframe from old 2 x 4 lengths we had lying around. I made a frame 6ft x 3ft x 3ft ish. I then used old polytunnel plastic to cover it using a staple gun. It is quite a good size and can easily be moved around to suit the area, and is quite light weight.

I am using it at the moment to warm some of the soil on my raised beds.

To get old polytunnel plastic ask at any local farm that has polytunnels, they have to be reskinned every so often as they get worn out and have rips but more often than not you can get still get very large pieces.

BargainGalore

I got one from Aldi yesterday for £30 http://uk.aldi.com/uk/html/offers/2827_13033.htm

valentina

We went down the local council recycling centre and asked if they had any double glazed window units (about 3 x 2 feet in size), bought 2 for a couple of quid each, then bought some wooden gravel boards from a diy place, sawed them up, screwed them together to make a box shape the right size, and put the windows on top!

olbas_oil

valentina wrote: »

We went down the local council recycling centre and asked if they had any double glazed window units (about 3 x 2 feet in size), bought 2 for a couple of quid each, then bought some wooden gravel boards from a diy place, sawed them up, screwed them together to make a box shape the right size, and put the windows on top!

Is this common practice at recycling centres, or do you have to pick the right person?

valentina

Not sure, we just happened to be taking some garden waste to the recycling centre and thought it was worth asking while we were there.

valk_scot

Any old rectangular frame made of scrap timber or even bricks plus some sort of see-through lid on the top will work. Old windows are excellent though watch out if you have kids around, in case they try to climb on the glass or fall against the frame.

I have three old cold frames on the allotment which I've pulled out of skips. None of them have the top sections but I've put them side by side and covered the top with a layer of environmesh. Not as warm as a proper glass or polycarbonate lid but not bad, plus I don't have to go up there twice daily to vent them or water them.

foxgloves

Partner has been saving old bricks to stack up to make base and is planning to use 2 old windows ontop. We recycle everything possible in our veg patch so I'm not worried it might not look very beautiful. Just want somewhere to stand things like peas & beans to harden off between greenhouse & going in ground.