Tomatoville® Gardening Forums - View Single Post - Small semi heated cold frame, think it will work?

harleysilo · November 17, 2014

Thanks for all the comments. Again this is just a test for this winter/spring. I had intended to build more raised beds this winter. I may design them differently to better accommodate turning one into a cold frame next year. We really need to grow strawberries which is why I moved them into this bed. I realize they need their own bed and they only last so many season before disease sets in. What we really need to do is fence it an area that is perfect for a garden and have a real garden plot but that is another story.

The forced air aspect of the cold frame is working I’m just not sure how well. I think the fan moves around 120 cubic feet per min of air and I think the cold frame is less than 100 cubic feet. I just got my thermometer set up so it will record max and min in the cold frame, but it will be a few days before it’s warmer and sunny. I’m concerned that it will overheat. Tonight and tomorrow night will be a real test as to if it will stay above freezing with just the forced air. If not, I may be adding a 100 watt light bulb tonight. I also may need a vent to allow the air to escape the cold frame vs. just letting it leak out around the cracks of the roof doors to allow for full movement of air.

I need to paint the PT wood the vent is mounted to on the side of the house. When we moved in this side of the house had bushes along it, and they didn’t paint behind them. So when I tore them all out it looked and still does look terrible. The original vent needed to be replaced, but the ones the sell now are slightly smaller, so the wood is behind the vent to hide the damage to the siding.

The kids are having a blast so regardless it’s already worth it. Yesterday we pulled up the 100’s of tomato seeds that had sprouted and planted seeds for carrots, broccoli and radishes in the half of the cold frame we hadn’t planted the previous weekend. Carrots and radishes have sprouted so they were excited to see that. The seeds we planted in the other raised bed that is not covered have not sprouted yet.

November 17, 2014	#9
harleysilo Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Woodstock GA Posts: 418	Thanks for all the comments. Again this is just a test for this winter/spring. I had intended to build more raised beds this winter. I may design them differently to better accommodate turning one into a cold frame next year. We really need to grow strawberries which is why I moved them into this bed. I realize they need their own bed and they only last so many season before disease sets in. What we really need to do is fence it an area that is perfect for a garden and have a real garden plot but that is another story. The forced air aspect of the cold frame is working I’m just not sure how well. I think the fan moves around 120 cubic feet per min of air and I think the cold frame is less than 100 cubic feet. I just got my thermometer set up so it will record max and min in the cold frame, but it will be a few days before it’s warmer and sunny. I’m concerned that it will overheat. Tonight and tomorrow night will be a real test as to if it will stay above freezing with just the forced air. If not, I may be adding a 100 watt light bulb tonight. I also may need a vent to allow the air to escape the cold frame vs. just letting it leak out around the cracks of the roof doors to allow for full movement of air. I need to paint the PT wood the vent is mounted to on the side of the house. When we moved in this side of the house had bushes along it, and they didn’t paint behind them. So when I tore them all out it looked and still does look terrible. The original vent needed to be replaced, but the ones the sell now are slightly smaller, so the wood is behind the vent to hide the damage to the siding. The kids are having a blast so regardless it’s already worth it. Yesterday we pulled up the 100’s of tomato seeds that had sprouted and planted seeds for carrots, broccoli and radishes in the half of the cold frame we hadn’t planted the previous weekend. Carrots and radishes have sprouted so they were excited to see that. The seeds we planted in the other raised bed that is not covered have not sprouted yet.