I was listening to the radio recently and they were talking about "survival packs" for a zombie apocalypse type of emergency. One of their suggestions was to save packets of seeds, in case at any point there was a shortage of food. "Wow! what a great idea," I thought to myself, until I remembered two things: one, I am a terrible gardener and two, other than put them in the ground and water them (which to me seems simple enough), I do not really know how to start seeds. If I was depending on seeds, I wouldn't make it very long, at least in human form. Zombies don't eat veggies.
Even though I know basically nothing about gardening, every year I at least try and start a seedling. Although, I never actually took the time to research how to properly do this. One year, I
planted seedlings in plastic cups. The cups cracked in the sun, and
didn't drain, and nothing grew. Plus, we carted them from our playroom
to the yard every once in a while daily, but that was a
hassle. The next year, my daughter and I planted seeds in little
biodegradable cups that you can plant directly into the garden once they sprout. We carted
them in and out almost everyday, but this time, the birds came down and
picked at the little cups, upending all the seedlings and taking the
cups away for their nests. I discovered I was starting them all wrong. Seedlings do not have to be indoors. If you do not have a greenhouse, you can create something called a "cold frame". It protects seedlings and starter plants from the frost, wind, birds, and allows them to get sunlight in the daytime.
The Challenge
Create a cold frame.
The Process
Cold frames are relatively easy to create. Simply put, a cold frame
is a box with hard opaque sides and a clear lid. The box can be made
from many different types of materials. Some books I read suggested
making one out of hay bales and covering the top with an old window
frame. Other books suggested taking plywood, creating a box and
covering it with plastic sheeting. The idea is to create a warm place
for seedlings, by capturing enough sunlight in the daytime to warm the
box and the soil. The cover should be something that can be easily opened or modified. The box needs to remain at approximately 70 degrees F, so if the temperature rises above that during the day, the lid should be cracked open or pulled back a bit.
We had a bunch of old 2x4s laying around, so I decided to use those to make my cold frame. I also had an old IKEA changing table, so I used the wood from that as well. Since I have small children, I decided to use a clear acrylic plastic for the lid. I was concerned plastic wrap would be a choke hazard, and glass would get broken. I purchased a 2'x4' piece of plastic at the hardware store for about $25. Many of my books suggested making a box with a hinge attached, but I thought that would be hard to create, and I also didn't want my kids to get their fingers or bodies smashed under the lid. Instead, I decided to make a way to slide the door open.
The box does not need to have a bottom. In fact, some people put them directly into the garden and grow seedlings in the ground beneath the box. I don't have much empty garden space, so I made my frame portable, and I will plant seeds in clay pots. When the frame is not in use I can put it up on its side against the fence behind our metal shed.
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| Look at the awesome drill! |
I used the 2x4s to create 3 rectangular frames that would fit around the plastic. Using a saw (which I kept calling a "drill", thoroughly confusing my husband) I cut six 51", boards and six 25" boards. Lengthwise, I cut about 1/4 off one the 25" boards. I drilled screws (with an actual drill) into the boards to make the 3 rectangular shaped frames. Then, I placed the frames on top of each other. The frame with the board cut lengthwise went on top, with the gap facing up. I secured the frames together by using little pieces of the changing table. I drilled two long pieces of the changing table level with the bottom of the gap, on the inside of the frame. After securing the frame, I slid the plastic piece over the gap and rested it on the long pieces of the old changing table (they are the pink wood in the box). The plastic slides back and forth for easy opening.
The Result
I know it isn't the cutest cold frame in existence, but it is functional! When I have more time, I plan on painting the inside white to reflect more sunlight onto the plants and soil. Another fun project would be to ask my little one to help me decorate the outside of the box using paint.
In retrospect, it might have been better to create a gap on either side of the box, so that the plastic could be cut in half and slide out in smaller pieces. Right now, when the box is half open, the plastic sticks out pretty far.
Ditz alert: In order to get the screws into the boards, I had to drill a guide hole into the frame first. I was cursing at the drill and how annoying it was to take the hole maker (I don't know what the name is for this, obviously) off and then put the other drill bit on to insert the screws. I did this over and over, for every board. Then I realized I could just make the holes on ALL the boards at once, then go back and drill in the screws. Duh.
