Comparing the pros and cons of: cold-frames; low and high polytunnels; greenhouses and mesh tunnels

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[asankey]

This is just the kind of video i was hoping existed! Thank you, im seriously debating what to set up next, and you showing your different set ups helped. More than anything i love that you explain the whys and all the benefits! Cheers

[alcogito]

I just found this video today and subscribed. Great ideas and helped to refine a few of my own ideas. I have been gardening all my adult life (am 86 now) but since I moved to a retirement community and don't have my handy husband around anymore to do construction projects I have been doing without carpentry (or I would follow your example). But I make hoop tunnels in raised beds using water pipe slipped over rebar, covered with row covers or 4 mil plastic and pinned down with ground staples I cut from the corners of wire clothes hangers. Simple but it works. (I only have 108 sq feet of space (three 3x12 foot patches) but it has been providing almost all of my vegetables since spring, and this year I am going to try to extend it through the winter. Wish me luck. I'm in zone 8b Pacific Northwest near Seattle, so Kale and chard survive here all winter in spite of frost, but I want more! Thanks for your inspiration..

[cqammaz]

Your garden looks like paradise. I love how organize it is and using the space under your seeding tables to plant green fantastic

[Jenny-xkir]

I have a vegtrug (6 foot long deck planter raised about 32" high) as a starter planter, and from watching this very helpful video, I decided to make a hoop cover from mesh, with an over cover of plastic for the cold-frame idea. I also decided to wrap plastic around the legs to keep wind from chilling the soil, so thanks for mentioning the effect of wind too. I am considering a way to insulate the bottom of the planter as well. Thanks for a great video!

[ButterFlyWeed-ws]

Thank you for this comparison video... My greenhouse just flu away during the last storm so I am looking at making cold frames and hoops.. So I appreciate this instructive video

[cindyleenoble]

I’m a beginner and this was very helpful. Thank you.

[slrw]

Thank you very much, Steve - I really appreciate the clear explanations and video.

[gardenfunwithjane]

Thank you for a great video. I love your examples of protecting from winter and frosts.

[denpictor]

Thanks, Steve just really started with growing veg and this year moved up to allotment so I have found your pieces about cold frames and minny polytunnels very interesting and inspiring.

[derekprice]

Thank you so much Steve. What a fantastic and well explained video. My set up is a lot smaller than yours but you have given me confidence to change and add on various items; the hinged raised bed covers is an essential for me and also the small coldframes are going to be another idea I'm implimenting.

[Alfamoto]

Very informative! Thanks...! This winter was a mess for me and I am planning to put some protection to my beds for next winter. Your video is spot on. I have a good spot for a greenhouse and for the rest of the garden I will go with hoop tunnels.

[earlshine]

Hi Steve, good info, thanks. I'm trying to get a passive solar greenhouse operational for season extension, still a lot to improve and test. Some ideas I'm incorporating are: automatic venting windows (wax based cylinders), inside non-window all painted white for maximum light reflection, soil level knee high so cold air goes to floor, isolated northern wall and roofing and inside water storage to dampen temperature fluctuations. Unfortunately I will have to drain my outside rainwater harvesting system (no seaside protection from frost). Best wishes, greetings from Holland.

[sunriseseven]

What a well explained video, thanks. Some well thought out ideas there put into practice. Thanks.

[Shambala_G]

Great relaxed narrative and tons of information. You have provided a real education for your family too. Thanks for sharing 👍

[clivesconundrumgarden]

Excellent information. As new gardeners things can be a little overwhelming to say the least. I'll look a doing a cold frame as they seem the cheapest and easiest to build. My wife is very interested in square foot and successional planting so this is very helpful
Cheers from Victoria Canada

[outsideaglass]

I'm building a mini greenhouse and am considering a follow up project of a cold frame or a mesh tunnel. Thanks a lot for your video, it really helped clear some things up for me from reading about things to how it can actually be done!

[aletamekvold]

Very helpful!! I just got a cold frame and am very excited to use it. Good to know about leaving it slightly vented. Although in the dead of winter in South Central Idaho USA it can stay below freezing for a bit so will have to play with it a bit to see what works the best.

[BenniLkitchengarden]

Thanks for showing 👍. I also want to grow veg in winter, but here in Norway we have a mutch colder climate than in UK. I have 8 coldframes similar to yours and a greenhouse with polycarbonate. I don’t have heat or extra light in my greenhouse. I try to find hardy plants and I cover with fleez during winter. One thing is frost, but the lack of light is also an issue when wintergrowing. I do wintersowing in january in the greenhous and get hardy plants early in the season. (sorry for my bad english).

[delightfullight]

Thank you so very much for all the wonderful ideas and personal experience that you have shared. It was very helpful. Our city won't let us build high tunnels in our yard but you have helped my compile a few ideas to get around the ordinances. Also, I've been waffling on which to use, cold frames v. low tunnels. Your ideas have helped me make up my mind. Thank you. Thank you also for using very respectful language in your communications. It makes it a lot easier to listen to. I do have a few questions though. 1) What is that dark gray striped layer on the ground in your poly tunnel at 15:27 in your video? 2) Is that pressure treated wood for you bed at 15:42 in your video? 3) What are those metal supports that hold up your seed starting table at 17:26 in your video?

[MuddyBootz]

good designs of your frames 👍. Keeping things standard size makes them more at converting a small bed into a cold frame....Nice one Steve 👍