General

December 2012

Living in Hot Springs Village, I was wondering if a cold frame set up along a south facing wall, in full sun, would be warm enough to germinate seeds in late winter/early spring here, for a summer vegetable garden.

 A cold frame on the south wall will definitely generate enough heat to start seeds, and even grow cool season vegetables all winter. The challenge will be to keep it from getting too hot. We have spells of warm weather all winter, and it will get really hot inside. You will need to pay attention to the weather and vent the frame on warm, sunny days. A new trend in gardening is high tunnels, or what used to be called a hoop house. You can build a small structure and cover it with visqueen and cover an existing vegetable garden to grow year-round.

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