Material and tools - a list for bargain hunters
To add a cold frame to your garden, you can dig deep into your pocket and purchase a pre-assembled kit. It is cheaper and has a high fun factor by getting hold of wood and accessories at suitable locations and assembling them step by step according to these building instructions. This material and tool list shows all the important components:
- 1 or more disused windows with wooden frames (from the recycling center, flea market or demolition company)
- 8 wooden boards with a thickness of at least 20 mm (ideally spruce, larch, Douglas fir or oak)
- 4 square timbers
- Wood preservative with a brush (product with the 'Blue Angel' environmental label)
- Hinges
- Nails or screws
- Hammer, saw, screwdriver, folding rule, spirit level
also read
- Build a stone cold frame yourself - this is how it works
- Build your own cold frame tunnel - this is how it's done
- How to build the cover for a cold frame yourself
Instead of installing wooden windows, you can also create the cover yourself. This can be achieved, for example, with round bars made of 6 mm spring steel or brackets for foil tunnels (€ 7.94 on Amazon *) and weatherproof greenhouse foil. (€ 8.99 at Amazon *) At the end of these assembly instructions you can read how to install this break-proof alternative properly.
How to set up a wooden cold frame - step-by-step instructions
In the first step, you saw the wooden boards to size. You match the length of 4 boards to the length and width of the window covering. Paint the cut slats and the window frames with an ecological wood preservative to protect the structure from rot. How to proceed:
- Cut the 4 boards for the front and back to a height of 35 cm at the front and 50 cm at the back
- Cut the two upper slats of the side walls to match the slope from the rear wall to the front wall
- Screw the side panels, front and back panels together to form a box using the square timbers
- Attach the hinged window or windows to the rear wall so that the cover opens upwards
The slope from the rear wall to the front wall makes an important contribution to the functioning of a cold frame. The inclined alignment optimizes the light yield, which is vital for the planting, especially in spring and autumn. It is important to note a gapless construction so that the wind does not whistle your plants around the floral ears.
Which dimension is practical?
For effortless maintenance work without dislocations, we recommend a maximum depth of 100 cm. This way you can easily get to any plant from the edge. With a length of 200 cm, your cold frame has a base area of 2 square meters, which is completely sufficient for starting with salad, carrots and radishes.
Build your own cold frame cover - this is how it works
Are old windows impossible to find, new windows too expensive or do you have concerns about the risk of breakage? Then you can also build the cover for your cold frame yourself. Instead of using wooden glass windows, you can use round rods made of spring steel or the brackets for a polytunnel. This has the advantage that you can flexibly adjust the height to the desired planting. For example, tomatoes can also be preferred in the cold frame.
Brackets for polytunnels have the advantage that they already have loops for attaching a weatherproof greenhouse film. The aluminum rods are inserted into the earth and the foil is pulled over them. Rubber brackets provide the necessary stability.
Choosing a Location and Preparing - How To Do It Right
A well-planned choice of location and correct floor preparation make a significant contribution to the efficiency of a wooden cold frame. So that the seedlings and young plants thrive here even in adverse weather conditions, the location in the garden should be sunny and protected. Due to the inclined shape, the plants make optimal use of even the smallest amounts of light. Natural heating provides the necessary warmth. How to properly set up a cold frame:
- Dig a 40 to 50 cm deep pit in the sunny, warm location in the garden
- Fill horse manure with straw litter up to a height of 20 cm
- Alternatively, use cow dung with straw or leaves
- Put a 20 cm thick layer of garden soil and compost on top
The large flock of industrious soil creatures immediately take up their work and decompose the nitrogen-rich horse manure. Within a week, a pleasant warmth develops from this process, which rises to the surface. Sown seeds and planted young plants can already thrive in the protection of the cold frame when the garden is still in deep hibernation.
Tips
The wooden cold frame is not only the ideal cultivation area for sowing, growing and planting. The protected framework conditions are perfect for hardening plants that have been overwintered or grown on the windowsill. To acclimatize, small plants stay in the cold frame for 10 days, so that the drastic temperature change from the house to the garden is cushioned.
