building a cold frame- need suggestions!!

[mener6896]

I bought a big double hung window off of craigslist and want to build a cold frame with it. I need suggestions and/or pictures of yours!!

is it best to angle the top/window? How deep should I make it? what type of wood?

Any advice would be appreciated. my hubby is building it for me tomorrow as a birthday present.

 

[Augustmomx2]

Here is a website that I found very helpful"

http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/main/pdf/coldfram.pdf

This design seems to be the one my dh was most receptive to. I haven't had mine built yet, but can't wait. Happy Birthday to you & enjoy your present

 

[Rosalind]

1. Yes, angle towards the south or however your site is so that it will catch the most light.

2. Depth depends on what you wish to grow in it, if you need to amend the soil, how cold it really gets where you live, if frost heaving is a problem. Mine is on a spot that previously had a sand-and-gravel play yard on it, so I filled in the soil part with a whole bunch of chicken litter compost and then lined the inside with big rocks and gallon jugs of water to help hold heat. It doesn't frost-heave at all, but depending on your conditions you may wish to dig down a couple feet and build a dry-laid cinderblock foundation for it, then put a layer of gravel down. But this is entirely optional.

3. Any kind of wood will work as long as it is not pressure-treated. You don't want the pressure treating chemicals anywhere near food items. For that reason, many people like to use some sort of rot-resistant wood: cedar, cypress, some sort of hardwood. Although mine is made out of crummy old pine, because I happened to have some lying around.

Hope this helps!

 

[vfem]

Thanks for posting this question... we were given 28 windows to build a greenhouse... turns out to be WAY more then we need... so we want to make a coldframe too!

Good advice...