Greenhouse vs Cold frame

Bob and I have been doing a little experiment my little cold frame vs his greenhouse and wondered what others think about which is best.

Ok there's not doubt the greenhouse seeds germinate sooner in there than in my cold frame but I have found my seedlings in the cold frame seem an awful lot stronger and more robust where Bob's seedlings seem weeker although just like a man (sorry guys but all us women know it's true :rolleyes he took his time to agree with me.

I just thought that unless it's something quite tall you are growing or you haven't room in your own home to grow them people may not necessarily need a greenhouse, I mean if you want to grow your seedlings early most are quite happy growing on a wondow sill I know that they may well take over all your window sills but at less it doesn't cost you any of you hard earned cash or if you are retired your children's inheritance!:D

Also there is a HUGE difference in price from a cold frame to a greenhouse.:eek:

What you you good peeps think? Hel.xxx.

 

In the Spring (i.e. when its cold outside, and the greenhouse is unheated) my regime would be:

Germinate seeds in the house. They are in the temperature as per seed packet to start germination (some are in kitchen, others in airing cupboard). [Check daily for shoots!!]

As soon as germinated I move the to a window, or to my little 4-shelf-plastic-thingie (with itself is in the conservatory) - which has a light bulb at the bottom to keep it warm, if needs be.

From there they are pricked out and put back in 4-shelf-thingie until they have recovered, and are large enough to be put out in the conservatory (unheated, but not very cold relatively speaking - I will bring into the house during a cold snap, although negotiation with DW can be fraught ... hmmm ... must remind her that the current glut, fabby flavour, and £££ saving, only came about because of a few days use of kitchen as greenhouse!)

I digress ...

As plants become large enough they go into greehouse. They grow on there, and those destined for outdoors go into coldframe for hardening off about a week before they will be planted out. Coldframe is closed at night, open during day when conditions are right. Plants are moved out of coldframe during suitable days when the weather is right, and put back at night - i..e all this is to get them ready for the Great Outdoors.

Then plant out.

Things that will stay in greenhouse stay there of course - my greenhouse crops of Toms, Cues, Melons, Peppers, etc.

I can imagine growing Lettuce in Coldframe during the winter, however planting them in the greenhouse instead won't make much difference at that time of the year - both are going to have similar temperature.

During the summer I can't imaging having anything in coldframe - except perhaps a few cuttings, or late-germinating seedlings being potted on, and hardened off etc. Autmun sow sweet peas and broad beans maybe ... greenhouse would be too warm for them.

 

The ideal is to have both cold frames and a greenhouse and I agree that a greenhouse can be a big expense but there is nothing to beat the smell of a few tom plants when you enter a greenhouse. It's a pleasant place to be, even when we have a miserable summer like this one, as for growing from seed, I follow much the same routine as Kristen. Strong, healthy plants are developed in conditions where the light source is good and the temperature is not too high, my first choice would always be a greenhouse and it's always woth looking for a second hand one if price is an important factor.

 

If you added a hotbed to the cold frame it is likely to outperform the greenhouse..at least until you run out of headroom

 

I have neither but dream of both. I think they would be too different to compare, I perceive the coldframe as an instrument and a greenhouse as an environment (that I can SHARE with the plants). That said I do agree that if you are willing to sacrifice some space in the house for horicultural purposes you may not need a green house, and a coldframe would still be very handy. But still I would kill for a greenhouse. A coldframe I can make by myself.

Kristen, I can relate to your your DW problem with sharing windowsills... I just breached the problem of next years tomatoes to my hubby, his studio window being the sunniest. It was a difficult piece of diplomacy.

 

I`ve been toying with the idea of converting the trampoline into a giant cloche for winter use :D
There are a lot of trampolines up and down the country taking up valuable space and are not even used in the colder months.
A 12ft diameter trampoline "cloche" is a tad over 3ft high and a lot bigger area wise (113sqft ) than most greenhouses.. reaching the middle will be a bit of a problem without resorting to going on all fours

 

"there is nothing to beat the smell of a few tom plants when you enter a greenhouse"

You need to grown Melons next year then ... imagine adding the scent of ripe Melons to that of the Toms in your Greenhouse :thumb:

 

Kristen, I bought two healthy looking melon plants from a nursery earlier this year and planted them in my greenhouse in late May, they grew slowly to about two feet high and then stalled, they have done nothing since. Aubergines have also been a washout, I have one really healthy looking plant which is about three feet high and bushy, all it lacks is the fruit. That is not to say that I won't try again next year and if you have had success with a particular type or variety of melon, I would welcome your advice, I didn't grow from seed this year because I had left it too late. Cheers TD

 

The ones I grew were T & M Edonis F1 Hybrid (which has been awarded the AGM by the RHS).

I've grown this type before with similar results, and I'm not sure the flavour is that fantastic, except that visitors and the rest of the family claim to have enjoyed them [more than I think I have]. But I think it would have been very different if we had had some decent sun to rippen them better.

This is how mine looked on the 2nd July

 

Thank you for that Kristen, and the inspiring photo, that is a real success and early enough in the growing season to get a continuous crop given a decent summer. I put my failures down to the lack of good sunny days but what I lack in gardening skill is compensated for by unfounded optimism, Edonis F1 hybrid will be on my T&M order form next year:yez: ,thanks again, T.D.