Monday 12 January 2009

Cold frames


At the weekend we assembled 3 cold frames for our vegetables. Unfortunately 24 hours later we had some very strong gales which lifted one on top of another and pulled 2 of them apart. It appears that the lids catch the wind very easily. Having removed the lids they haven't moved at all. Any suggestions for easy ways to hold the lids down in bad weather?

4 comments:

Scriptor Senex said...

I gave up trying to have my version (i.e. home made) of a cold frame because of the wind. Is there a way of using those elastic straps with hooks on the end that you get from Halfords etc for strapping things in / on cars? Or would that just result in the whole frame being lifted?

Graham Edwards said...

Living in the Land of the Winds I have experience! The bungee (for that is, I believe, what they are called) idea is good but you have to sink stakes into the ground with a hook or eye on top and stretch the bungee over the top of the frame.

Bryony said...

I think the solution is small metal tent pegs with the bungee between them. I have always wanted a cold frame and a veg plot (jealous sister icon required).

Graham Edwards said...

I did think of metal tent pegs and in heavy clay they might work but they wouldn't survive two seconds on Lewis and being a person who always prefers to over-design......