cold frame question zone 5

GWN 2/11/2013, 5:49 pm

Hi there
I put in 2 cold frames last fall and transplanted several spinach plants that had been almost destroyed by the deer.

They survived the winter and we even got a small spinach feed at around christmas time. They look poised right now to take off and start really producing. ....... However

it just occurred to me that now might be the time I could plant something from seed in the cold frame... could I put in some peas, carrots fennel? anything?
Or is this crazy??

**camprn** 2/11/2013, 5:59 pm

It's a little early yet, in my opinion. Also, peas ans carrots do not transplant well.
Nice spinach!

GWN 2/11/2013, 8:29 pm

thanks camprn
I guess I have never really made a plan for the cold frames, so need to though.

quiltbea 2/12/2013, 12:04 am

Cold frames are great for hardening off your seedlings before they hit the garden. The top makes it easy to give them night protection and even cover with cheesecloth against sun and wind burn before transplanting.
I also use mine to start different lettuces, which I then transplant into my beds tucked in here and there were there's room. How about growing some greens in spring? And in summer starting your fall crops to tranplant into the raised beds.
Then in fall you can plant things like hardy greens to carrots to spinach in the coldframe to see if you can get some to overwinter.

GWN 2/12/2013, 10:40 am

salad greens what a great idea.
Thanks QB.

quiltbea 2/12/2013, 11:37 am

GWN....A tip about growing your greens in the coldframe. When the temps rise, just cover it with cheesecloth to provide some shade. It works.

Here's mine.

**Turan** 2/12/2013, 12:58 pm

I was also wondering if it would work to go sprinkle some seeds in the cold frame buried in the snow. Maybe some mixed salad greens? So there is a variety to figure out when and if it should sprout. Might give me some early greens.

GWN 2/12/2013, 10:05 pm

Turan
My cold frame would be covered with snow if I had not shoveled the snow off of it. Despite the warm weather we still have at least a foot on top of all flat surfaces.

I shoveled it off because I figured that even though the snow was insulating it, the plants needed just a little sun.

However you make a great point, putting seeds down in the cold frame in the warm insulated bed, might be a great environment to start some seeds.

**camprn** 2/12/2013, 10:20 pm

Turan wrote:I was also wondering if it would work to go sprinkle some seeds in the cold frame buried in the snow. Maybe some mixed salad greens? So there is a variety to figure out when and if it should sprout. Might give me some early greens.

They will sprout when it's time if they are sown!
Very Happy

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