Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Cold Frame Advice Sought

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Liz Pike <liz AT marketfarmshoptalk.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Cold Frame Advice Sought
  • Date: Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:38:29 -0500

The horse manure is too old to provide the heat, and especially not to help compost those dry leaves.  Have you opened the bags to check for heat/composting??  Years ago while touring the gardens of Williamsburg, I got waylaid by the head gardener who told me they start their horse-manure heated cold frames in December for March planting.   They used fresh manure in deep pits and it took 2 months to cool down enough to not burn up seedlings. They used glass "windowed" cold frames that were quite hot on the January day I was there.   Now this was in deep pits so I'm not sure how the heat would be in above-ground cold frames, I suspect less heat.  Maybe you can get ahold of some fresh manure and bag it in black plastic bags to put in the cold frame; they may give off enough heat in the cold frame for cool season crops who don't need that much heat.  Haven't tried it, but would be interested to know if it works.

I found this posting on a blog with lots of pictures on setting up a single cold frame, wouldn't have been big enough for us, but gives you an idea.  http://thefarmersmuseum.blogspot.com/2009/06/hot-frames.html

Liz


083671CE-7122-47BC-8D9F-2C00168C4F36 AT allspecies.org" type="cite">

  
I am building a 4X8 foot cold frame and might need to keep it warm  
at night. I have some horse manure that was put into garbage bags  
about 8 months ago. I was thinking of mixing it with dry leaves and  
letting it work under my flats. I don't know if the manure is too  
old or how much to use and what kind of temperatures my cool season  
plants will tolerate in the frame. The plants were grown to about  
5-6 inches indoors under fluorescent lights.

Any information about this will be appreciated.

Thanks

Marty in Kansas City
    
_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming


  




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page