How to use a Cold Frame for Winter Gardening

[@toysintheclosetshop5443]

Heck, I can't even grow carrots during the 'normal' season. But you have me inspired for next year. My chickens would LOVE to have some carrot tops in the winter. I grow lettuce in my cold frame and one thing I do different is I line my frame with sheets of Styrofoam. And I just throw a heavy sheet over the box and remove it during the day. I'm supposedly in gardening zone 6 but I'm at 7,000 feet altitude and consider myself in zone 5. (My bees were flying today at 39 degrees. Go Figure!) Looking forward to your Year Round mini course! Thanks!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I'd love to see a picture of your set up. Are you able to keep lettuce all winter? Mine usually only makes it until late December. Many of my other greens do fine later, but lettuce just doesn't seem to hold out.

[@mariaallevato6121]

Every year I say I'm going to have a winter garden, but by the end of August I'm kind of burnt out. Then, in Nov/Dec, I'm disappointed that I have nothing growing. How do you stay motivated at the end of summer?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Well, I love going out in the snow and harvesting so that is part of it. It is a challenge to do in our area so there is a sense of pride that I'm making it work. Honestly it also helps that I have the pressure of needing to do videos like this one for my followers, so that also acts as an incentive.

[@honeydew4576]

We eagerly grow in the winter, too. Zone 6 with snow. I took your year-round gardening class and loved it. I did plant seeds in August for the autumn/winter, but they were stunted due to chlorine in our water....(boo). So, we don't have the crop we expected. Still, we are over-wintering some mustard, cilantro and other greens in our unheated greenhouse. Preparing to plant seeds indoors in January! Spring is almost here!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

That is awesome!

[@kimgordon3695]

Winter seeding & nurturing 💞

[@kimgordon3695]

💞

[@ogreunderbridge5204]

First thing that hits me here is to dig the coldframe good and deep. Then insulate, make the bottom part of it into a hot composter and just slap the winter growth soil bed on as a topping. Ought to provide free heating, lots of free growth house carbon and an endless supply of nutrients.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I've heard about that. But too much work for me. As long as I get them planted at the right time they will be there for me to harvest all winter long with out any additional work.

[@zakkrueck2362]

crops 365 days for 12 years! amazing, new gardener and new subscriber here

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Thanks and welcome!

[@CharlesGann1]

Fresh vegetables harvested from under snow is always amazing. Thanks for inspiring and demonstrating that this works. Great video.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

You are welcome!

[@tinaknutsen]

Nice video, I really didn’t retain much gardening experience as a kid. We did have a good size garden but my siblings and I had specific chores. Mine was feeding over a hundred rabbits. One I nicked named maniac because he would always attack my hand. He was the best rabbit I ever ate! But other than that I really hated when my dad butchered them and I could hear the squealing. I’d cry. This was back in the 70’s. Haven’t had rabbit since. The early 80’s my mom went full vegan. So now I just consider myself neutral 😂 Seriously, going to check your channel out because I do want to learn to grow and harvest my food. Thank you very much!

[@justsayin5609]

Merry Christmas and a HNY '23 to you & yours. Also Zone 6b in S. Ont. (So happy on the lee side between 2 Great Lakes.) Will have to give this a go next year. Fresh veg outrageous in Canada, especially greens. (lettuce $6-8- we're doing without!) My question is about soil nutrient depletion. I have limited gardening space and focus on toms, peppers & cukes during the season, so let it rest during the winter after putting a heavy layer of compost over leaf mold/leaves. Thanx in advance.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

This is a worry. I rotate my winter garden to different areas every year. The rotation for my winter beds is 3 years. Even with the rotation I'm very careful to be sure that I'm amending the soil with compost before every crop that gets planted. The beds that I use for winter gardening end up being planted for 18+ months without a rest so I'm always very careful with the soil.

[@geegaw1535]

Thanks for this information. I have always wondered. We need this ❤

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@theoldguy1956]

Thank you good to know Im in North Carolina near the blue ridge mountains in zone 8 Im into proagating roses from cuttings so this could be a good idea through the winter just sticking them in soil with rooing hormone, and rigging up a mister and and maybe some insulation in the box.

[@rickwalters8219]

Do you recommend any seed companies?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I like Honest Seed Co, MI Gardener & True Leaf Market.

[@KatieDiscipleofJesus]

How much space should we have inside the cold frame.. between the soil and the plexiglass? I’m wondering if my planter beds will work as a cold frame if I build a window for them for the winter. Except my planter beds are not 12 inches tall. They’re about 6 inches, I think. However, the soil is not leveled with the ground level. It’s higher.. so would this defeat the purpose?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

It all depends on what you are planning on growing in the cold frame. If you are going to stick with low growing plants like spinach, and leaf lettuces then you would be okay. But any larger plants would need more space.

[@honeydew4576]

@@cathyb4770 We had a similar idea, but one thing to consider is that the cold frame needs to be on the ground to capture the heat. If the raised bed is too tall, it's likely that soil will freeze. At least, that's what happened in our case.

[@honeydew4576]

@@cathyb4770 Great ideas! Good wishes. I have always liked the idea of using hay bales as raised beds. Actually, there's lots of uses for hay bales. We use them to create warm beds in our unheated greenhouse. Happy gardening! and Merry Christmas!

[@TJtheHAWK]

This is my first year using a cold frame. Im in New hampshire and the arugula, Mustard Greens and cilantro absolutely love it. The regular garden is frozen but the soil in the frame is still relatively warm. I'm really curious about how early I'll be able to throw Spring seeds in. I usually start planting cold hardy plants in mid to late March but I'm going to try late Feburay this year and see if it works.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Nice!

[@bruce-le-smith]

Great video thanks! Kale is an amazing plant, thanks for the carrot tips

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

You bet!

[@zepol41978]

Great

[@annmarieharvie3134]

Could you use a tote if you cut out the top and use plexiglass?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Yes, but I don't think the plastic would offer as much insulation value as brick or wood does though.

[@sherylptccm6122]

Your fun is contagious! Any watering needed? Thanks!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I only water up to mid November then theynare good until spring, if they last that long.

[@kimgordon3695]

@@StoneyAcresGardening 💞

[@stephaniegodfrey4349]

What type of cloth do you use inside

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Heavy fabric row cover - 1.5 to 2.0 oz

[@karenlutz3536]

Do you vent your cold frame-to allow for really sunny (warm) days?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Only when it is really warm. Not this time of year. I only need to vent if the day time temperatures are in the high 50's.

[@marciamickley1885]

thank you I'll try

[@freiherrvonstein]

Cool !!!

[@msdebbiep]

Best video I’ve seen on coldframes. Thank you. Although I planted my carrots early, they didn’t get very big before winter.. come spring will they start growing again or is all of their growing done?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Yes they will start growing again, but you will need to watch them closely. After a cold winter they will fairly quickly go to seed, you want to get them harvested before that starts to happen, or they will be very woody.

[@msdebbiep]

@@StoneyAcresGardening ah! Good to know … might as well eat those tiny little babies then .. next year will be better. THANK YOU

[@kimgordon3695]

Yes 💓

[@amyhoang9140]

This is amazing. What else can be grown inside the cols frame beside carrots? Thanks.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Spinach, lettuce, Asian greens, swiss chard, beets, turnips.

[@debi7039]

I just watched your video. I have a quick question. When you opened up the cold frame for your carrots, what was the cloth that was on top of the carrots & below the glass? What is it used for? Thanks!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

That is heavy fabric row cover. We use it in December, January, and part of February as an extra layer of cold protection during those coldest months.

[@pamschonfarber1041]

I have raised beds and two doors from a sliding door, that fits, Does the bed have to angle up in the back? And do you have to partially bury the cold frame?

[@dorisslade9696]

hi, I'm a beginner gardener in zone 7a. I want to grow and harvest all year round. I want to now build a cold frame. Can I continue to grow cabbage and collards in a cold frame? Thanks in advance!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Collards will last all winter long, but cabbage is a fall or spring crop, you will need to get it harvested before the really cold temps settle in in December.

[@yariale8]

Do you water the plants in the cold frame? How frequently do you water them?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Not after about mid November. They are not actively growing in the winter and there is very little water loss, so they do fine from mid November to Mid March. Assuming the plants haven't been harvested by then.

[@jillian1515]

That's what I was wondering! Thank you. I was just very surprised to find a full raised bed of lettuce growing in my greenhouse. I haven't watered since October.

[@jillian1515]

@ourstoneyacres Do I need to replace soil with anything? The whole raised bed in my greenhouse is full of lettuce... haven't been in my greenhouse since October. I'm very surprised!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

@Jillian I just make sure that I add compost every time I plant to keep the soil in good shape.

[@jillian1515]

@ourstoneyacres Oh wow! You got back to me quick! Thank you so much. 🥰🌱

[@lyndadean8623]

I am from the Bahamas

[@rebeccaparker4547]

Would you recommend a heating cable in the bottom of the box and growing the plants in pots that sit on top?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I see cold frames as a no energy input option for growing in winter. I have heard of people doing this, but I don't think it is super successful. Pots are going to freeze quicker and harder than the ground, even with the heat cables you will have a much harder time keeping them from freezing hard. Just choosing some hardy plants like I listed and then planting them directly in the ground at the right time is so successful that I just don't see the need to add heat. A big part of the point of a cold frame is that it doesn't require any added heat. As soon as you add artificial heat those become VERY expensive vegetables.

[@kingskings1013]

Wouldn’t vinyl shower curtain work? Or the white insulating garden fabric?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

I wouldn't use a shower curtain. That vinyl isn't designed to stand up to sunlight and weather. Yes the fabric row covers work well, like the one I showed in the video. But they won't keep the ground from freezing like a cold frame does.

[@jenniferwalters579]

Are you planting in ground or starting seeds indoors then using the frame to harden off the seedlings?

[@marciamickley1885]

How do you water in the cold frame?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

No need to water during the winter. I don't water from Mid November to Mid March. before and after that I just water with a hose or some times even a watering can. It doesn't need a lot of water in the cool time of the year.

[@cbak1819]

If the mice don't get to them first.. 😂 like mine .. wah wah wah

[@clb50]

We just built a could frame and it's actually 8* F COLDER than the outside Temps.

[@brianseybert2189]

Just subscribed to your channel, look forward to exploring. Thought I was the only one digging out my garden in Jan, zone 5a. Have a video on my insulated cold frame, survived 6 days and 5 nights single digits and below zero temps. Take a look, click on the orange B for my channel.

[@usa2342]

Do you have issues with rats in winter?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

No. But we don't have a lot of rats in our area.

[@kimgordon3695]

The Sun shall not give it's light by Day nor the Moon by Night ~ Prophecy

[@mingli6753]

Yes. So the cold frame is not for “winter gardening “, but for “winter storage “

[@Merzui-kg8ds]

There's something weird about spinach. I find it hard to germinate, hard to get it to grow, and the one spinach plant that did germinate and grow is pathetic. I can't imagine it making it through a winter, even in a cold frame.