Farming and gardening in the cold northern states can be a challenge.
Buying seed and starting your own plants enables us to choose those unusual varieties not available at the big box stores or local Agway, while saving us a great deal of money.
Anyone with a sunny plot of land can assemble this simple and low cost temporary coldframe with materials available at every hardware store or big box home improvement store. No building skills necessary.
Follow me below the fancy orange Chanterelle.
This hoop house cold frame can be completed in an hour.
Materials....
10' lengths of 1/2" pvc pipe, one for every two feet of length, plus one extra for the end.
Plastic sheeting, 4mil - 10' by 25' is plenty for a frame up to 16' long.
Heavy tarp
Heavy rocks, cinder blocks, bricks- anything heavy without jagged edges to secure plastic.
Metal or wooden stake for making installation holes
Rope for high wind areas
Hammer/sledgehammer
Cost of new materials is about 50 bucks.
Plastic will last 2-3 seasons if removed and carefully stored.
PVC can be left in ground and will remain viable for 2-3 years as well, longer if uninstalled.
Chose a sunny location on a high and dry level plot of land.
Align your frame east to west to maximize sun exposure.
Early in the season, the sun is lower on the horizon- make sure trees or buildings allow at least 6 hours of sun.
Pound metal or wooden stake to make an 8-10" deep hole to insert pvc.
Place first pvc pipe, tamp soil firmly.
To make a nice arc, measure 4' and install the other end of the pvc.
The frame will be stable with 2' between hoops.
If you are unable to install directly into the ground or have a driveway or concrete slab as your location, pvc connectors can be used to position hoops on parallel base pipes.
When you have competed your frame, cover with plastic.
Pull plastic over both ends with enough extra to secure with clamps or large stones.
You will be pulling the plastic back on very warm days and securing with extra weights on very wind days- be prepared for weather!
The nights are still hovering around freezing, so extra protection is needed.
A heavy duty tarp, over the plastic, gives at least 6 degrees of frost protection.
I always close up the frame while the plants are still warm when extra cold nights are predicted.
If you have electric nearby, a clip-on utility light with no more than a 60 watt bulb can be suspended from a middle hoop- this one light will give another 6 degrees of frost protection.
Even on a cloudy day, this hoop house is warm.
Be sure to pull back the heavy tarp to catch the early warming rays and be sure to lift plastic on warm days to avoid cooking your plants- it is better that they be a little cold than a little fried.
On days when you must be away for hours and the weather is unsettled, raise the plastic about a foot in front and sides.
For very windy days, crisscross rope over the top of plastic, using cinder blocks or heavy rocks to anchor rope in a few places.
If you are not a gardener, build one of these as a three season sun room.
It is a warm space even on a sunny winter's day.
Bring in a carpet runner for comfortable sitting and you're good to go.
For excellent veggie and flower seed for northern states....
Fedco Seeds
Pinetree Garden Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
High Mowing Organic Seeds