Constructing a guerrilla coldframe

This short tutorial will discuss the process of building a coldframe from mostly materials found at your growsites.

First lets talk about what a cold frame is; To quote the ever elequent Wikipedia,

"a cold frame is a transparent-roofed enclosure, built low to the ground, used to protect plants from cold weather. The transparent top admits sunlight and relies on the greenhouse effect to reflect back radiant heat that would otherwise escape at night. Essentially, a cold frame functions as a miniature greenhouse season extension device."

well there you have it, a tiny greenhouse to start seedlings and keep them safe from preditors. I wouldn't recomend putting freshly sprouted seedlings in one unless it is in your backyard and easy to keep them watered daily. You have to remember that it will be much hotter in the cold frame and the tiny seedlings will dry up fast unless in large pots of soil.

I prefer to start my plants indoors for a few weeks, till they have 3-4 nodes, then transport them to an outdoor coldframe near the area you wish to grow. they will then be transplanted into larger pots that will hold water for longer.

the guerilla coldframe has many purposes, firstly it is covered in wild grass when the plants are put under it, as the next few days go by you slowly take it off, so the plants become accustom to the suns strong rays.

With the grass taken off completely and plants addapted to the strength of the sun, the cold frame will keep them warmer to give a nice springtime burst of growth before they are transplanted into their final locations.

The cold frame also keeps the growing seedlings safe from animals while final growing locations are found and prepared, so they can be quickly moved when ready without any need for additional plant prep.

This small tutorial will show one of the many ways a cold frame can be constructed.

Lets discuss materials, the main thing, is a knife, i prefer my trusty kabars, you will also need twine, and a clear plastic tarp. clear tape would be helpfull but not necessary. If in a pinch the stalks of dead milkweed plants can make very good rope, as the outer bark contains a silk like material stronger than cotton. I decided to use gorrilla tape instead of twine, because i love the stuff, lol weatherproof and strong...



It would also be a good idea to talk about placement, you should always face your coldframe due south, with little obstruction from trees on all four sides, though the north side isn't as important. you want a flat to slight slope twords the south to slightly point the plants twords the sun and to add in drainage. you also want to angle the roof at least 10 degrees to best capture the suns heat.

First you must find some fresh live shrubs, with long straight trunks, common willow is usually the best, it grows in swamps and along creeks with very straight, branch free stalks. I could not find willows but found a cluster of some other shrub that worked well. after bending the stalks and hitting them at the base like an axe using my knife they were easily cut down and brought to the site.


Next take the two longest shafts and push them deap in the ground, the same way they would grow. I didn't trim the branches in the pictures but it would be smart to do this before you start construction.

The next step involves a cut being made on the north sides of the two upright stalks, not to deap, just though the bark, maybe a little deaper. This will allow you to bend the branches to the south till they break as shown.


Next two 2 foot stakes are put into the ground about a foot deep, and lashed to the two bent poles. Then two more poles will be put perpendicular to the two bent ones, as shown.

Afterward clear plastic is spread over the frame, and folded at the corners like a flatsheed on a bed. clear packing tape will keep the folds intact. and the edges will be trimmed to fit the frame, and you might want to stake the edges down quite a bit to keep rabbits and woodchucks out. I used palat shrinkwrap to make mine, it seemed like a good idea at the time, though i would rather use a tarp next time.

You have now completed a guerilla coldframe, it will stick out like a sore thumb in the wild, so it is not recommended to build one unless you are sure nobody will be in this area for the time you have it up. I would recomend that you try and camoflauge it with local branches and grass. as soon as it starts to get really hot, you will want to cut slits in the sides of the tarp to allow air exchange. Once summer has come, the coldframe will have worn out it's usefullness and should be taken down and all man made parts taken out of the grow site. If in your backyard the same can be constructed with 1" by 1"s and fastened with nails. The tarp would be stapled into place.

I make similar structures for cloning outdoors.
I like your frame desin. very nice.

yeah does anybody know how i could submit this to the faq?

You must say the magic word...
And the gate keeper might open the door.

Or MOGIE might hold a spare key.. I hear she is pretty handy with a bobby pin..She might be able to pick the lock...

But that plastic is real visable to copters or planes as it shines like metal on a sun day from above not afraid to attrack attention especially in an obvious square man mad shape?

that's hot!

well yeah it could be seen from above i specificly stated you shouldn't build one where detection is possible, also, aireal searches are much less common than most people seem to think, and are only done in fall, coldframes will be uselless once the summer heat kicks in, and they will be taken down, this one will only be up for 3-4 weeks then the plastic will be cut and packed away.

hey fdd pretty sure paris hilton copyrighted that saying, better be careful you might have a lawsuit on ur hands

i have paris hilton ducktaped in my bathtub...no worries fdd