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Using a cold frame

TigerFeetTigerFeet Posts: 35
in Plants
A few weeks ago I bought  my first cold frame after thinking  it would be useful, it's been empty ever since.
This weekend I decided to try my hand at propogating, starting with  verbena lollipop and dianthus. They are  potted up and now in the cold frame. Is this the right place for them to  be? If so, does the lid need to be closed or open in the day?
Any tips for using a cold frame would be much appreciated. Many thanks

Posts

  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    You can use a Cold Frame for cuttings and seed sowing depending on what you are doing and the time of year. You can also use them to protect half hardy plants from inclement weather when necessary.
    The location/aspect will make a certain amount of difference - ie a cool CF or a warm CF - again depending on time of year and weather conditions in your area.
    I'd suggest that it is usually a good idea to ensure that you allow some ventilation daily- particularly if you are watering the plants in there.  
  • TigerFeetTigerFeet Posts: 35
    Thank you for your help
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    As @philippasmith2 says - it's like a half way house for seedlings, and young plants, especially for getting them hardened off for planting out. I always used mine for things like sweet peas, as it's easy to fill windowsills very quickly when sowing a quantity of them in early spring, or if I wanted to do some in autumn, but they don't need the height a greenhouse would offer. It's useful for anything that won't be large by the time it can be planted out.  :)
    It's always best to have ventilation in summer - most things will only need protection from the roughest weather at that time of year, and only if they're newly sown, or very small. Rain battering down and strong winds aren't great for small plants and seedlings.
    Dianthus don't really need protected at all, just tucked in somewhere sheltered, so those would be far better with an open lid. I often just tuck mine in among other plants.
    The verbenas would be the same. It's only through autumn and over winter the latter would need more protection, depending on where you're located, and the dianthus are fairly tough, so it's just a case of keeping the worst of wet weather from them when they're small. Dry cold isn't a problem for those  :)

    I'm assuming they're cuttings? Those verbenas may not come true if they're seed. They often revert to the standard V. bonariensis. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • TigerFeetTigerFeet Posts: 35
    Fairygirl, thanks for the info. My garden is very windy and it's difficult to shelter things from the worst of the weather
    Yes, they are all cuttings, I am also trying to root more verbena in water. Thanks for the tip re verbena reverting to the standard  if the seeds are planted.
    The slugs have been eating my original dianthus plants apart from the ones I have on top of a  metal garden table....
    I read something recently by Alan Titchmarsh who said that if you haven't many flowers in your garden at this time of year, you've not been trying.
    Well, I have been trying.....but I'm aiming to be better prepared for next year 😆 

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