(thanks Matt and Emma), Ace weather stripping ($7), digital
indoor/outdoor thermometer for the geek in me (had in a box in the
basement, probably $20).
Finished size is 48"x52".
The ground was frozen hard when I put it out this morning and the high
today was about 43 degrees. Can't wait for some sun.
How deep is the soil-to-glass measurement?
ReplyDeleteI painted gallon water jugs black and kept them in our cold frame to absorb heat during the day and keep it warmer at night.
How do your door panes stay open while you're harvesting/working in the cold frame?
Are you considering doing the manure-as-heat-source method anytime?
Our cold frame ingredients:
http://teamspgarden.blogspot.com/2011/03/cold-frame-progress.html
Two of my primary cold frame successes were sweet peas (already have six growing now) and arugula. Here's the triumphant sweet pea post:
http://teamspgarden.blogspot.com/2012/05/flowering-sweet-peas-now.html
This post reflects the pest and heat problems I experienced:
http://teamspgarden.blogspot.com/2012/03/cold-frame-second-planting.html
Right now, the box is about 6" deep. The windows are only laying on the box, not attached, so it will be easy to add a second box of the same depth and then put the windows on those. To work in it, I can just set the windows aside.
ReplyDeleteI thought about the painted black milk jugs - or other thermal sink. The depth is a bit of a problem for that right now.
The ground inside is still frozen, but the sunlight raises the box temperature about 5 degrees over the outdoor temperature (55 in the box if it's 50 outside) at mid-day. Once the ground isn't dragging the temperature down, higher temperatures will definitely be possible.