cold frame to small

Due to lack of space i have recently purchased an upright wooden cold frame for the purpose of growing my own bedding plants etc but have now realised that its a bit too small to put a heater in so was wondering whether i would still be able to grow from seed if i wait just that little bit longer for the weather to warm up considering i live in the north of england and what bedding,container,hanging basket plants would be suitable to grow from seed in that type of frame. thanks for any advice !

 

with all the plug plants available from supermarkets i would forget growing your own outside, id probably buy these tiny plants and grow em on, but wait till it gets a bit warmer as they need to be about 50F overnite, you could pot em on in your house provided they get enuff light and put em out l8er
in the meantime id use the coldframe to pot up small perennials and get them growing actively for planting out side, hanging baskets can be prepared and made ready for your main plants, which should be filling a 3"pot when popped in the basket
PS would one of these night lights in a bowl of water not give a bit of heat overnite?

[ 02. April 2006, 03:39 PM: Message edited by: Lady Gardener ]

 

Just an ordinary electric light bulb would give out some heat.

I echo what Lady Gardener said about plug plants. They are pretty cheap, and there is a good range now. I recently bought 24 mixed petunias for �£2.99. BUT each cell had two plants in it, so I teased them out into 48 plants. Well 45 actually - three cells only had one plant. I wanted to go back and complain, but I was not sure of my reception. :D

I also bought a number of other plugs such as Diascia, Nemesia, Agyranthemum and Fuschia etc. You have to pinch then out anyway - so why not pot up that bit as a cutting.

 

Never thought about plug plants,as for potting them on in the house i aint got the space so would i still be able to buy them end of april early may ready to put in the cold frame prior to planting out also what small perennnials would you recommened, thanks for the alternative heating advice but the plug plants seem an easier option. thanks again.

 

I suspect that they will not be available for that long. But should be available for another week or two. Even the ones I bought a few days ago have grown noticeably, and after a while would get too big and out of hand in the garden centres.

Many of mine are on window sills in the house.