Season extension for container garden

13 years ago

Hello all:

I'm considering possibilities for extending the season of my container garden on my deck. The vegetables I've planted are broccoli, chard, lettuce, carrots and beets. I have a few different types of self-watering containers.

I'm considering one of the Flower House products:

http://www.flowerhouses.com/products/greenhouses/Planthouse4.htm

http://www.flowerhouses.com/products/greenhouses/Planthouse3.htm

http://www.flowerhouses.com/products/greenhouses/Seedhouse.htm

http://www.flowerhouses.com/products/greenhouses/Starterhouse.htm

or the following coldframe from Gardener's Supply:

http://www.gardeners.com/Cold-Frame-with-Greenhouse-cover/37-443RS,default,pd.html

Alternatively, I could go with hoops and row covers over each container: "covered wagon" style.

Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

Thanks!

Comments (2)

oilpainter
13 years ago
There are a few things you'd want to know before you decide what to do.

You must have a bottom in what you use. You want it as air tight as possible. You would need a source of heat--heater cables would work, or a 100 watt light bulb or stones. Stones placed around the planters would collect the suns heat in the day and release it at night. Stones would only work if where they are gets full sun all day.

Just covering them will only protect plants from freezing with a couple of degrees of frost. Less than if they were in the ground because you have spaces in between your planters that does not give off heat.

Then there is the daytime. You will have to open it a little or a lot during the day. Even on a cloudy day the heat can build up in a small enclosure. I have a 6x8x6 foot greenhouse. It can be 2 degrees below and it is 80 in my greenhouse if the sun is shining. When I had cold frames I would open them between 8 and 9 AM and close them up between 4 and 5 PM

Whatever you choose get it low enough that you are not wasting heat but high enough for the plants. Row covers give you about 2 degrees of protection.

All this having been said all the plants you have--except the beet tops-- will take a couple of degrees of frost and still be OK.
veeta
13 years ago
I don't know hoe having a container garden will affect things, but I have the gardeners.com cold frame and it is fantastic. I covered my raised bed garden and grew lettuce, parsnips, beets, and cauliflower all winter--even under 3 feet of snow! (The frame did start to buckle but did not break--I brushed the snow off).
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Season extension for container garden

Comments (2)

oilpainter

veeta

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