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Cold Frame Design & Build

  • Shermanator
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Cold Frame Design & Build was created by Shermanator

Posted 6 years 2 months ago #45337
Hello Everyone,
I live in North Dakota and as we get winters down to -35F (-37C) I have had to come up with a way to keep my trees alive. While some of these trees could survive if planted and established here, none will survive with their roots so exposed in pots. So, I have designed and built an enclosed, bottom heated, cold frame for the task. Below are some pictures showing the different layers of the design. I will be using a large water proof heating pad, an aluminum sheet for heat transfer and a sturdy floor, and a lot of styrofoam packing peanuts for insulation. Let me know what you think or if you want additional details.
Thanks
Spencer
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Replied by Shermanator on topic Cold Frame Design & Build

Posted 6 years 2 months ago #45338
Oh, and the heating pad won't be on constantly. I bought a thermostat with a temperature probe that I will put in one of the trees soil. The heating pad will come on if the soil gets below a certain temp.
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  • Auk
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Replied by Auk on topic Cold Frame Design & Build

Posted 6 years 2 months ago #45339
That is not a cold frame...
Beautifully built though. Plan with the thermostat sounds good.
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Replied by Shermanator on topic Cold Frame Design & Build

Posted 6 years 1 month ago #45547
Quick update for you all. Its gotten cold here, already down to around 4F (-15C) will 3 snow storms. The cold storage trunk is working as designed. The thermostat prob in the soil and the heating pad are keeping the soil between 30 to 36F (-1 to 3 C). Here are some additional pictures.

Yes, my trees are mostly twigs, they are mostly new seedlings. Gotta start somewhere and I'm not letting the cold stop me.
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Replied by Clicio on topic Cold Frame Design & Build

Posted 6 years 1 month ago #45549
I'm glad it is working!
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Replied by Shermanator on topic Cold Frame Design & Build

Posted 5 years 11 months ago #46643
The cold storage structure has been very useful this month. Below is the forecast for the next week. Gonna get down to -28 with a wind chill of -52F. That's -47C.
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