Make a cheap DIY Cold Frame Using Hay Bales Gardening Ideas By Amy Grant Printer Friendly Version Image created by Sergei Pivovarov If you’re a passionate gardener who wants to extend the duration of your gardening season, you may be thinking of making cold frames. Cold frames can be bought or built from all kinds of recycled materials. The hay bale hard frame is one of the simplest Cold frame styles. Find out how to create a budget hard frame. What is a Cold Frame? The rigid frame is an enclosed greenhouse. It could be a permanent or temporary structure for the garden. The aim of the wooden frame is twofold. Volume Zero The primary reason to have the cold frame is to help plants harden. Moving new plants from a secure outdoor area to a set before transplant can be complex. A hard frame can shield the seeds from the sun and wind and allow them to gradually adjust to the outdoor environment. Cold frames are also utilized to cultivate plants, typically an autumn secondary crop or the early spring crop. Far less expensive than a greenhouse, A cold frame can regulate temperatures with passive and active heating sources. Where to put the hard frame “Location, location, location!” according to the saying. PuttingSetting your Cold frame(s) in full sunlight near a water source and away from the cold north winds is essential.
A location on the southern part (or north if you are within the Southern Hemisphere) of your garage or home is the best because these structures aren’t just in full sunlight but also emit heat. What is a DIY straw? Bale Cold Frame Cold frames are incredibly complicated. Specific models incorporate ventilation and thermal mass; their cold frames can be nearly as big as a greenhouse and cost as much. Explore More If you’re seeking a simple way to go about it, a cost-effective DIY straw bale-based cold frame is right for you. A straw bale hard frame could not be more straightforward. The basic idea is six straw bales of two strings arranged in a square and then covered to protect plants. How you cover the bales with straw will determine how easy the task will be.
How to build the Straw Bale Cold Frame: Choose the southern exposure zone. Based on the topography of your area, it may be necessary to level out the surface before putting the bales. The size will depend on the size of the bale you purchase. Bales are available in two sizes, referred to as 3-strings or 2-strings. They measure 18 by 36 inches (46 x 91cm.) and 48 by 15-16 inches (1 1. 41 cm.). The most common size is the first, which is 14 inches (36 centimeters.) high. The fundamental design of straw bale cold frames is to put six 2-string straw bales into a 6-foot (2 meters.) square, with three feet (just less than one Meter) gap in its middle to accommodate plants. It would help if you now wrapped the cold frame in. A tarp is a popular option, or old blankets can be taken off in the middle of the day, but there are better options than that in the event of rain. The best option is to locate old windows that could be stacked on top of the bales of hay. The windows can be shut at night to conserve the heat. When the sun rises, the windows can be opened or opened to allow the sun and the air to circulate within the plant. Window coverings can make the interior part of the DIY cold frame up to 10 degrees cooler than the outside. It is essential to be vigilant with the rigid edge to keep track of the temperature. The ideal temperatures are 50-70 degrees F. (10-21 C.) for cool-weather plants and 60-80 temperatures F. (16-27 C.) for plants that grow in warm weather. The nighttime temperature should not drop over 10 degrees below the daytime temperatures. That’s it. It’s easy to put up and tear down, cost-effective, and at the close of the season, you can recycle the straw into the compost beds or use it to mulch in your vegetable beds.