Cold Frames  For Season Extension

Cold Frame Technology

Cold frames act as miniature greenhouses and sit on top of your raised bed frame or directly over an in-ground garden. The plastic-lidded frame traps the sun’s rays, warming the air inside the frame up to 30 degrees more than the outside temperature. The lid is attached with a movable
arm, which is filled with wax. As the sun shines upon the frame, the wax warms and expands, pushing the arm and opening the lid to vent, which prevents the air from becoming too jot and scorching the plants. 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.

Cold Frame Crops

Plants that can be harvested into the late fall with a cold frame:

• greens: lettuces, kale, collards, chard, and spinach
• broccoli
• hardy herbs
• carrots
• beets
• radishes

Plants that can be seeded in late fall for overwintering with a cold frame:

• beets
• carrots
• kale
• spinach
• scallions
• hardy winter greens: claytonia, mache, and sorrel

PRICING:

Green City Grower’s cold frames cost $540 per 4’x4′ cold frame. This includes free delivery and installation in eastern MA. If you are interested in purchasing a cold frame, reach out! 617-776-1400 or info@greencitygrowers.com

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