HARVEST LATER AND START EARLIER
There’s no need to let your garden stay empty during the winter. Instead of clearing off an empty patch of soil in April, why not enjoy a garden full of ready-to-eat spinach? Cold-hardy crops planted in your cold frame in late fall will grow slowly through the winter and be ready to harvest as soon as spring arrives.
The outdoor, unprotected growing season in New England begins in early April and ends in late October, a total of just seven months. Anything that can prolong this short season, even if just for a few weeks is a welcome reprieve from the threat of cold winter days. Our average growing season is 32 weeks. With season extension tools, the season can be extended to up to 41 weeks.
WHAT YOU CAN GROW:
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Collard Greens
- Broccoli Raab
- Hardy herbs
- Carrots
- Beets
- Radishes
- and more!
Cold frames act as miniature greenhouses and sit on top of raised bed or directly over an in-ground garden. The cold frame lid, made of twin-wall glazing, traps the sun’s rays which warms the air inside the frame up to 30 degrees more than the outside temperature. The lid is attached to the base of the cold frame with a cold frame arm and piston. As the air inside the cold frame warms up, the wax inside the piston expands and pushes the arm to open the lid. This automatic venting allows for basic temperature regulation. This is critical to promote healthy growth and keep plants alive in the spring and fall, allowing for the highest possible success rate without constant monitoring.
Growing in a cold frame is different than growing food at any other time of the year. In the fall, the weather is usually cold and there are far fewer hours of sunlight. The plants that do best in these conditions are cool weather crops, some of which might survive a hard frost.
GCG's custom-made cold frames are $540 per 4'x4' frame, delivery included for Eastern MA. Order your cold frame now for a mid-October installation!
|
