Design ideas / advice needed for cold frame/compost combo

Cajunrider

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At my new place I plan to have a hopefully pest proof permanent cold frame that will double as a composting bin in the summer. Any suggestions or design ideas are appreciated.
Size; Three sections of 4 ft W x 4 ft H x 4 ft L . Floor will be lined with a 1/4" mesh to keep critters from coming in.
Note that it will be a cold frame to protect the trees from extreme cold only. I am not looking to build a greenhouse.
 
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rockm

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At my new place I plan to have a hopefully pest proof permanent cold frame that will double as a composting bin in the summer. Any suggestions or design ideas are appreciated.
Size; Three sections of 4 ft W x 4 ft H x 4 ft L . Floor will be lined with a 1/4" mesh to keep critters from coming in.
Note that it will be a cold frame to protect the trees from extreme cold only. I am not looking to build a greenhouse.
The best protection from a cold frame is digging them into the ground and locating them effectively. Limited Southern exposure to keep temps more even can be an important piece of the puzzle. Both the ground and sun exposure are important to successful overwintering. I would not enclose your set up completely--you will get heat gain and early budding and growth doing that. You may also get rodent issues, as you're creating a really nice sheltered place for mice, voles, etc. to set up shop. I also wouldn't double duty the set up with anything. Composting in the same location, IMO, could lead to some issues with winter dormant fungus etc.

FWIW, My cold frame is more of a cold pit--a seven by five (all the room I really have) two foot deep rectangle dug from the ground, with two foot tall timber frame walls from the surface around the pit. That's four feet of earth and wood walls in total. The earth is your friend in winter. Setting a cold frame on top of it doesn't really take full advantage of the relative warmth the mass of groundsoil can provide.

In late Nov. I put trees on the bottom of the pit--with bricks under the pots' feet to give some drainage clearance. I then mulch in for the first foot or so. I allow that to get hit with repeated freezes and hopefully some snow for a week or two. I then cover the pit with a lean-to roof of decking surface boards with the coverage facing South and the open end facing north towards my house.
 

Cajunrider

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The best protection from a cold frame is digging them into the ground and locating them effectively. Limited Southern exposure to keep temps more even can be an important piece of the puzzle. Both the ground and sun exposure are important to successful overwintering. I would not enclose your set up completely--you will get heat gain and early budding and growth doing that. You may also get rodent issues, as you're creating a really nice sheltered place for mice, voles, etc. to set up shop. I also wouldn't double duty the set up with anything. Composting in the same location, IMO, could lead to some issues with winter dormant fungus etc.

FWIW, My cold frame is more of a cold pit--a seven by five (all the room I really have) two foot deep rectangle dug from the ground, with two foot tall timber frame walls from the surface around the pit. That's four feet of earth and wood walls in total. The earth is your friend in winter. Setting a cold frame on top of it doesn't really take full advantage of the relative warmth the mass of groundsoil can provide.

In late Nov. I put trees on the bottom of the pit--with bricks under the pots' feet to give some drainage clearance. I then mulch in for the first foot or so. I allow that to get hit with repeated freezes and hopefully some snow for a week or two. I then cover the pit with a lean-to roof of decking surface boards with the coverage facing South and the open end facing north towards my house.
Thanks. I am rethinking the doubling as composting bin myself.
 

penumbra

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Thanks. I am rethinking the doubling as composting bin myself.
Yeah, agree that this is not a good idea.
It is hard for me to wrap my head around a coldframe in your climate. I guess it would be good for tropicals.
 

Cajunrider

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Yeah, agree that this is not a good idea.
It is hard for me to wrap my head around a coldframe in your climate. I guess it would be good for tropicals.
This is for my PA future house. I would like to think ahead. I have valuable prebonsai BCs and Mayhaws that should survive there. I just want a cold frame to assure that they thrive.
 
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dbonsaiw

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Granted, we had a relatively mild winter, but I was satisfied with the mulch pit. With the exception of trees purchased mid-winter from a warmer climate (dumb move) all my trees lived. We have a fairly high water table here, so I am not inclined to start digging a few feet. I had all the trees smack in the middle of the yard and will overwinter next year against the garage on the south facing side. I like the fact that the trees are out in the open and get air, rain and snow. I do, however, tend to view them as people and have this knee-jerk reaction that they need to be indoors by a fireplace.
 

jradics

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The best protection from a cold frame is digging them into the ground and locating them effectively. Limited Southern exposure to keep temps more even can be an important piece of the puzzle. Both the ground and sun exposure are important to successful overwintering. I would not enclose your set up completely--you will get heat gain and early budding and growth doing that. You may also get rodent issues, as you're creating a really nice sheltered place for mice, voles, etc. to set up shop. I also wouldn't double duty the set up with anything. Composting in the same location, IMO, could lead to some issues with winter dormant fungus etc.

FWIW, My cold frame is more of a cold pit--a seven by five (all the room I really have) two foot deep rectangle dug from the ground, with two foot tall timber frame walls from the surface around the pit. That's four feet of earth and wood walls in total. The earth is your friend in winter. Setting a cold frame on top of it doesn't really take full advantage of the relative warmth the mass of groundsoil can provide.

In late Nov. I put trees on the bottom of the pit--with bricks under the pots' feet to give some drainage clearance. I then mulch in for the first foot or so. I allow that to get hit with repeated freezes and hopefully some snow for a week or two. I then cover the pit with a lean-to roof of decking surface boards with the coverage facing South and the open end facing north towards my house.
pictures please
 

Paradox

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Thanks. I am rethinking the doubling as composting bin myself.
I agree with not using it for double duty for the reasons rockm stated.
I also agree with it being completely closed also for the reasons stated.
It will be very hard to make it completely pest free.

I have a coldframe along the north side of my house built from cement blocks. The house is one side of the coldframe to take advantage of heat radiating off the house. I have covers for it that I use when temperatures drop below 30 to keep some of the heat in or if a hard frost is predicted in the spring as things wake up. I leave it open for rain and snow.
 

rockm

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pictures please
These are kind of the best I can do. Don't have many pictures of it, since it's cold out there when it's up. The second pic shows the PVC piping I use to support the roof boards--which aren't in these pictures, as I typically let all the snow in when it becomes available...It's the best mulch on the planet.
 

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MeDupree

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I didn't lose much material over the winter but I'm planning on getting a few pavers and some deck slacks to build a quick box next winter for some smaller stuff I have growing now.

I only wanted it to be temporary as I don't have the space to hide it but I'm also thinking I may be able to repurpose it as a bench and substrate storage in the spring/summer.

Similar to what's pictured but taller, I'm not sure yet what type of lid would be most suitable for some air and light without compromising it to my pests and bad weather?


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Deep Sea Diver

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Cold frame thoughts…. (Hard learned lessons!).

  1. Use a good grade of poly - greenhouse grade is best… if you use poly
  2. Assure there is really good drainage as the base and area surrounding the structure
  3. Ensure base structure is sturdy enough to protect from the untoward elements
  4. Roof should slant
  5. Have ability to remove/prop up roof easily or create large vents on two opposing sides
Check out this resource.

Hope this helps.

cheers
DSD SENDS
 
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