Winterizing the garden, hoop frames and covers installed to grow year round.

Although our winters are mild here in north Florida, we do still get a few freezing nights each year. With the edition of hoop frames and plastic we hope to keep right on growing all winter.

Materials for each hoop cold frame 

4 - 10ft  3/4 inch grey pvc conduit per frame @ $1.88 each

8 - 18inch pieces of 1/2 inch metal conduit per frame (already had these, I buy 5 ft sections for $1.29 each and use them as garden stakes they outperform wooden stakes by miles! )

1 - 100ft x 10ft roll 6mil plastic sheeting $69 ( we covered 3 frames and have enough left for at least 2 more frames)

1 - 12ft 1 x 4 per frame (used free wood from a local business that puts scrap out for free)

staples

So each frame cover cost aprox $24 to build



The pvc conduit is held in place by sliding over the metal pipe that has been driven half way into the ground.

The plastic is attached down one side and halfway across each end with staples. One the other side the plastic is attached to a 12 foot 1x4 this will allow that side to be rolled up for venting, watering, harvesting etc. The other half of each end is folded over and held in place with a brick (high tech huh).

The is the side that opens by rolling the plastic up over the 1x4 it is attached to.

Each 4x12 cold frame gives us 48 sqft of intensive gardening space.

When I factor in the paint we bought to paint the frames that were made out of free wood and the garden soil mix I bought by the truck load to start the beds along with the cost of the hoop frames we have $42.00 in each 4x12 raised bed and frame.... not bad!