I have a surplus to requirements coal bunker. With the
help of a neighbour, I've managed to shift each
concrete panel of the bunker, from the house to the
allotment.
The intention is to re-assemble the bunker into a handy
coldframe. Each panel is approx 3' x 3'. I will screw
to rows of battening, about 9" and 18" from the top -
this will allow me to lower the plants, as they get
taller.
This will leave a space of about 18" at the bottom of
the new coldframe. Suppose I was to fill this space
with fresh material from the composter. I noticed when
topping up the composter with household waste today,
that the contents were starting to warm up a bit,
despite the recent cold weather.
Can anyone foresee any problems? I've got an outdoor
max/min thermometer, so there should be no danger of me
overcooking the seedlings - I hope!
TIA

"Bertie Doe" wrote in message
...
I have a surplus to requirements coal bunker. With the help of a neighbour,
I've managed to shift each concrete panel of the bunker, from the house to
the allotment.
The intention is to re-assemble the bunker into a handy coldframe. Each
panel is approx 3' x 3'. I will screw to rows of battening, about 9" and
18" from the top - this will allow me to lower the plants, as they get
taller.
This will leave a space of about 18" at the bottom of the new coldframe.
Suppose I was to fill this space with fresh material from the composter. I
noticed when topping up the composter with household waste today, that the
contents were starting to warm up a bit, despite the recent cold weather.
Can anyone foresee any problems? I've got an outdoor max/min thermometer,
so there should be no danger of me overcooking the seedlings - I hope!

This is the way old time gardeners provided bottom heat in cold frames - a
layer of active compost underneath the beds.

"David WE Roberts" wrote in message

"Bertie Doe" wrote in message

This will leave a space of about 18" at the bottom of
the new coldframe.
Suppose I was to fill this space with fresh material
from the composter. I noticed when topping up the
composter with household waste today, that the
contents were starting to warm up a bit, despite the
recent cold weather.
Can anyone foresee any problems? I've got an outdoor
max/min thermometer, so there should be no danger of
me overcooking the seedlings - I hope!

This is the way old time gardeners provided bottom
heat in cold frames - a layer of active compost
underneath the beds.

Thanks David, that's reassuring. I could always remove
compost if it starts to overheat. By March end it'll
probably be warm enough, so extra heat won't be
required.

On 21 Feb, 14:37, Sacha wrote:
On 2010-02-21 12:45:20 +0000, "Bertie Doe" said:







"David WE Roberts" wrote in message

"Bertie Doe" wrote in message

This will leave a space of about 18" at the bottom of the new coldframe.
Suppose I was to fill this space with fresh material from the
composter. I noticed when topping up the composter with household waste
today, that the contents were starting to warm up a bit, despite the
recent cold weather.
Can anyone foresee any problems? I've got an outdoor max/min
thermometer, so there should be no danger of me overcooking the
seedlings - I hope!

This is the way old time gardeners provided bottom heat in cold frames
- a layer of active compost underneath the beds.

Thanks David, that's reassuring. I could always remove compost if it
starts to overheat. By March end it'll probably be warm enough, so
extra heat won't be required.

It sounds rather like the old-fashioned pineapple pits. *Horse manure
and rotting bark were put along the bottom of those to heat them
naturally. *You might have seen them if *you've ever visited The Lost
Gardens of Heligan.
--
Sachawww.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This method of growing was wide spread in the dayd of "The Big House"
and the team of gardners. Sometimes used as Sacha says for pineapples,
but more often for Cucumbers etc early in the season.
There was a trench the width of the bed taken out to around 12 inches,
this was then filled with around 2ft of rotting horse manure that was
still getting hotter, ther soil capping was put back on and then as
the temp of the dung was starting to drop then the plants were put in.
This method was also used out side when they would put a set of
English lights over the bed and it would be used again for early veg.
English Lights were like large window s they were 6ft by 6ft and were
made up of small panes of glass, around 12 inch square. they took 2
people to handle them.
They were hard work.
This growing system was the fore runner of todays soil warming.
Talking of soil warming, in the 30's 40's and into the 50's you could
get a 12v system of soil warming that used galvanised wire burried in
the ground. this might be an idea today with a 12v wind generator.
David Hill

"Sacha" wrote in message

It sounds rather like the old-fashioned pineapple
pits. Horse manure and rotting bark were put along
the bottom of those to heat them naturally. You
might have seen them if you've ever visited The Lost
Gardens of Heligan.

Thanks Sacha and the 2 Davids for some useful pointers
to more research on this. We went to Heligan about 10
years ago, but can't see the pits. My wife recalls that
a section at Heligan, was temp closed to the public.

My interest in coldframes was rekindled at the local
cattlemarket, where a lady supplies plugs and bareroot
fruit, veg and flowers. In two weeks time she'll have
garlic and beetroot. These start her season off and she
will keep selling through till December.

She says that she's about one month later this year,
due to the cold weather. I guess, with bit of compost
in the frame, you could start some seed off in November
i.e. sweet peas.

I'd be interested in trying garlic. I've planted garlic
cloves on the shortest day, but they only grew to the
size of small marbles. Anyway I'm off to get some steel
brackets and reassemble the coal bunker/cold frame.
Bertie

"Sacha" wrote in message
On 2010-02-22 10:44:11 +0000, "Bertie Doe"


"Sacha" wrote in message

Everything's a bit late this year. We've had
customers asking for snowdrops in the green and we've
had to explain that our supplier digs them up when
the flowers are faded, so we have to wait on them!


I was given about 50 snowdrop bulbs last Summer. The
one's that get some late afternoon sunlight, are in
flower. Some that I planted in shade, have produced
green but no hint of flower heads yet. If they don't
flower, should I transfer them now or wait a month?
Thanks.

Bertie

"Sacha" wrote in message
On 2010-02-22 12:40:34 +0000, "Bertie Doe" said:

I was given about 50 snowdrop bulbs last Summer. The
one's that get some late afternoon sunlight, are in
flower. Some that I planted in shade, have produced
green but no hint of flower heads yet. If they don't
flower, should I transfer them now or wait a month?
Thanks.

Bertie

As they're woodland plants, some shade shouldn't
bother them too much. You do need a fair depth of
soil for them and not too much interference from tree
roots etc., or so the received wisdom goes but in the
lanes here, they grow in great masses in among all
the hedgerow plants! I must say that here on the
Nursery and in the garden, they flower in all sorts
of weird places and some are tucked away in a bank
behind one of the greenhouses and get very little
direct light. They can be a bit fussy as to soil, so
perhaps the ones that aren't flowering don't like the
soil in that particular area of the garden. They
seem to like a moist soil and one that's humus rich.
Moving them now can't hurt if you're quite sure no
flowers are on the way.
--

Thanks we'll keep an eye on them and look out for a
'light shade' spot, rather than direct shadow.