Cold Frame Design for Northern Climates
Northern cold frames have been designed to allow early soil warming and protection against unseasonable frosts. The following page outlines the steps for constructing a cold frame that uses a heat sink principle to warm the soil and a sheltering cover that can be easily removed and replaced for frost protection. This design differs from the typical raised bed with a cover by using air flow over a bed or rocks that underlay's the soil. This air movement warms the rocks and the soils far earlier than the simple raised bed. This extends the growing season for northern gardeners, allowing earlier starts to the growing season and later harvest periods.
Click for Construction of a Northern Cold Frame
Click for Construction of a Northern Cold Frame