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Just made a cold frame to move some tomato seedlings too, is my angle too big?

TobykeaneTobykeane Posts: 39
in Tools and techniques
So I managed to scavenge a couple of old windows and have turned the first one into a cold frame. From my research the angle recommended was 30 degrees for the slant of the window however on all the cold frames I see online and on youtube the angle seems to be a lot lower. Have I done something wrong here? The angle is definitely 30 degrees that I have made it. The hight really works for me though as I am going to put some tomato seedlings in to start hardening off.




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  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 46,325
    Looks fine to me @Tobykeane.
    The angle maximises the light, which is the important thing for your young plants.
    Just be aware that it's still very early for tomato plants, so don't be in a hurry to move them out there. 
    I only start sowing mine at this time of year :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • Pete.8Pete.8 Billericay, EssexPosts: 8,545
    Looks very good and a lot better than most that you can buy - great job.
    When the time is right it'll be fine for your tomatoes, but don't put them in there until it's a LOT warmer - around May/June time if the weather is OK - assuming you're in the UK.
    Tomatoes don't like temperatures below 13C at any time of their lives
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Third rock from the sunPosts: 33,870
    Hello Tobykeane. That is a brilliant piece of work and I really don't see any problem whatsoever with your angle. I fact, you've got some nice height there to accommodate taller pots. Well done is all I can add!
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 27,600
    Looks good to me too.  Good angle and well made.  Congrats.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • TobykeaneTobykeane Posts: 39
    Ahh right, great! Thank you for all your comments. Just on the tomato front I think I maybe got a bit excited... I've already got quite a lot going. I need to move them somewhere but just not quite sure where as starting to get quite big. Was thinking of making a polytunnel over my raised beds and hoping that would get warm enough but do you think it is still far too cold for them at night? What if I provided a little heater as well? 


  • ObelixxObelixx Vendée, Western FrancePosts: 27,600
    Have you got windowsill space?  If not, you could pot them on so they have extra compost to keep their roots warm and then protect the tops with your cold frame but put covers on at night to keep in the warmth and lift them by day to let in maximum sun.

    When you pot on your tomatoes you can bury them deeper in their pots - up to their lower leaves - and they will produce more roots from the stems making them stronger.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Billericay, EssexPosts: 8,545
    Yikes - they're quite tall already.
    I also used to get going with the toms too early and would end up with a similar situation, The problem is the plants end up very leggy so you don't get many trusses on each plant and the stems can't take the weight of the fruit.
    I sow mine in a heated propagator the 1st week of March and I start picking late June onward.
    Not sure what your best plan is, but they need to be kept reasonably warm with as much light as possible
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 46,325
    Ah - this is the problem with things sown too early.
    You might have to put them in a polytunnel, and use fleece at night or the heater. They need light, but they also need enough warmth for a long while yet.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


  • TobykeaneTobykeane Posts: 39
    Damn. Any other good ideas? Was thinking maybe putting some bricks in the cold frame and hoping they absorb enough heat to keep them warm through the night? I have fleece and also 2 x seedling propagation heaters. Maybe I just try and insulate the cold frame well enough, ram the heaters in there over night and hope for the best? Just took a temp inside the cold frame after its been in the sun and its over 20 degrees in there during the day in full sun. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl west central ScotlandPosts: 46,325
    It's not the daytime temps you have to worry about though. 
    You also need to ventilate during the day, especially if it's warm. Fluctuating temps are a bigger problem for things like tomatoes than almost anything. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....


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