cold frame q's
i need to use a cold frame this year for all my plants that need overwintering ready for next year but have a few questions, i say cold frame in the loosest terms as it is an empty wooden planter on wheels that will have an old window placed on top, the planter is 13 inches high by 12 inches wide
so over winter do i
1) water the plants and then leave them in there unattended overwinter
2) leave the glass window flush on top (closed) or leave it propped up a bit?
3) anything else i should do to keep them safe
oh and i have some delphiniums that are almost garden planting size, should i plant them now or put the in the 'coldframe' ?
0
Posts
Can't offer any help,except to bump up your post
I would put a layer of grit in the bottom of the planter to stand the plants in pots on. They shouldn't need much watering. As long as they don't dry out they'll be ok. Inspect regularly for slugs and snails who think you've provided winter bed & board for them.
Put the window on top but with a gap between it and the top of the container to ensure plenty of air flow and on dry and sunny days prop it open, closing it before sundown. The danger with cold frames is lack of air flow which can cause the plants to rot.
If strong winds are forecast tie or weight the window down.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
thank you all, i will hopefully have my greenhouse up after the winter so for now i only have a small plastic greenhouse and the make shift cold frame so i shall get some grit for it as the wooden planter is lined with some permeable roofing material which is a hidey hole in between for slugs and snails