xt7rv11vgb56 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7rv11vgb56/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1940 journals kaes_circulars_276 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 276 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 276 1940 2014 true xt7rv11vgb56 section xt7rv11vgb56 E
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Extension Division
THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean and Director
CIRCULAR NO. 276
HOTBEDS AND COLD FRAMES
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Lexington, Ky.
March, 1940
Published in connection with the agricultural extension work carried on by cooper-
ation of the College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, with the U. S. Department of
Agriculture, and distributed in furtherance of the work provided for in the Act of Congress
of MBY 8, 1914.
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Circular N0. 276
HOTBEDS AND COLD FRAMES
By JOHN S. GARDNER
Hotbeds and cold frames are important adjuncts to any garden
because they provide protection for plants before the weather is
warm enough to grow them in the open. They are low, box—like
structures, covered with glass or a glass substitute, enclosing plots of
soil. A hotbed differs from a cold frame in that a means of heating
4 is provided. Usually this is fermenting manure. ln some of the
E more pretentious hotbeds, steam or hot-water systems are used.
TE and sometimes electric heating elements are employed. Another
E kind is heated by means of underground flues from wood or coal
g fires. A cold frame may collect some heat from the sun; its chief
:5; function is to provide protection over cold periods.
`°_ norsmns
jb A hotbed is used for forcing flowers and vegetables, for produc-
E ing plants to be transplanted to the open ground, and sometimes to
¤ grow crops to maturity. Radishes, lettuce, onions, spinach, carrots.
g beets, and even beans, may be raised in a hotbed ready for the table; —
Q and the earliness of cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers,  
ti plants, cucumbers, and sweetpotatoes, in the open, may be increased
2 by starting the plants in a hotbed.
D
3 As to flowers and ornamentals, the seed of scarlet sage, petunia,
zinnia, marigold, cosmos, ragged robin, snapdragon, sweet alyssum,
candytuft, and others, may be sown in a hotbed early, so that one
may have plants ready to set out at the time usual for seedsowing in
the open.
The best site for a hotbed is on ground that slopes moderately to
the southeast, so that the bed may have the utmost advantage of the
winter sun. The bed should be protected from north and west
winds, by buildings, trees or shrubbery, or by a tightly built fence.
Complete drainage mLlS[ be assured. It is advantageous to have a

 l /{wzlrzn/ay Iixtwzsion Circular N0. 276
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 6 Kenltzc/cy ljxtentsion Circular No. 276
their resistance to rotting. Two-inch stock should be used in pref- In
erence to lighter weights. lt is not necessary to extend the frame to U
the bottom of the pit if the earth is ol a nature to support itself, but H.
it is generally better to do so. The [rame should be 15 to l8 inches il
high on one side and 9 to 12 inches on the other; thus the sash is by
sloped to shed water. The slope should lace south so that a maxi- W
mum amount of winter-sun heat and light may be absorbed. The
sides ol the [rame should be held in place by 2" x Ll" posts driven P
into the bottom of the pit at its corners and along its edges, spaced by
j 3 or 4 [eet apart. Cross-bars should be provided to support the sash R
T at their edges. ln Figure 2, a permanent hotbed is shown in cross H
section. H
t ${15/1. The sash should be made ol the most durable wood, prel» W
  erably cedar or cypress. lt may be bought glazed or unglazed; some»
  times there is economy in the gardener doing the glazing himsell.
i Standard sash is made in two widths, 3 and 4 feet; the narrower size
is generally used because it is easier to handle. Sash come in several ill
’ thicknesses; the thicker kind is more durable but also heavier to ‘*‘
T move. \\’hether to select single-glass or double-glass sash is a matter
ol` choice. Double-glass sash lurnish more protection, but there is  
~ _ ‘T:¤ s¤·-,; r  an ~ .   · ·.  .
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glaw Ficumt 4. Pit for a teinporary hutbed Ficumz 5. Pit filled with manure.
L that Frame in place.
nru . . .
c' allowance must be made. \i\’hen the pit is well filled and tramped.
it is ready to receive the soil lf the bed is to be used for flats or pots
2 inches of soil is enough. but if seed is to be sown in it direct, ·l to ti
rd but inches is required. The soil should be made up of good garden
y_ lt loam. two parts, and one part of well—rotted composted manure. lt
;lding. should be screened. and the particles broken up as fine as the smallest
use it seed to be sown.

 8 Ivwtltzc/cy lixlrrtslmt Circular No. 276
THE TERIPORARY HOTBED
A temporary hotbed, to be used lor one season only, may be made
i easily and at small expense. and should give good service il properly
managed. ()ne type (Figure 5) is made by digging a pit one loot
longer and one loot wider than the lrame to be used, but omitting
the lining. lnto it the manure is packed until it is completely lilled:
then, the lrame is set thereon and banked on all sides with manure.
Such a hotbed requires more tnanure than the permanent lorm
described, but the ease ol building it may recommend it in some
instances.
T .~\nother type ol temporary hotbed (Figure (S) is one in which no
pit is used, but the manure is piled on the ground to a depth ol t8
j to 21 inches and the lratne placed upon it. Altho wastelul ol ma-
? nure. so little labor is needed to constructsuch a bed that it may
Q have a real use, particularly in emergency.
CARE AND MANAGEMENT
ll"/tw: lo Slttrl. 'l`he time lor making the hotbed depends upon
the purpose lor which it is intended. For growing a winter crop ol
lettuce and radishes, the time is about (Lhristmas. For producing
cabbage, caulillower and lettuce plants to be set in the garden about
March I5, the bed should be started between _]anuary l5 and Feb-
ruary l. For the tnore tender vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers. pep»
Y pers and eggplants, that cannot be set salely until alter May l or
perhaps May I5, the hotbed should be made March l to .»\pril l. ll
cold lrames are to be used in conjunction, the hotbed may be started
lrom ll) days to 2 weeks earlier than the dates just given.
Semi Soztting. For the lirst day or two alter it is made, a hotbed
tends to heat vigorously; the temperature olten reaches 125 degrees.
but alter it cools to 90 degrees seed may be sown salely. To use the
space most economically, seed sown direct in the soil ol the hotbed
should be put in drills ~l to 6 inches apart. rather than broadcast.
Besides giving the seedlings more unilorm spacing. drill-sowing en-
ables tlte gardener to estimate how many plants he has. Seed ol
the slowly-germinating vegetables. tomato, pepper and eggplant.
prelerably is sown in llats because it is easier to plant it at the proper
i depth. For cucumbers and related crops, it is best to sow in pairs ol
1 seed in pots and move the mass ol earth and roots unbroken. lot
‘

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 l
10 lventuc/cy Igjxtension Ctnnlar No. 276
this family of vegetables is particularly sensitive to root-disturbance.
No matter how the seed is sown. watering should follow immediate- h.
ly. \~Vith small seed that must be sown shallow, it is best to cover bt
with muslin or burlap and water thru it. This cover may be left St
until the first sign of sprouting is seen; then it should be removed.  
Ventilation. This is one of the most important items in man- |)‘
agement because, if proper ventilating is not done, trouble may fol- ‘l'
low. No set rules can be laid down, but there is one sign to indicate if
when fresh air should be admitted. This is the "sweating" of the
  glass. Ventilation may be given by sliding the sash partly off the
y frames or by propping up the ends or the edges of the sash away bl
from the wind, t.o prevent direct drafts front blowing over the U,
  plants. C(
$ Care should be exercised to keep the temperature within the bed il
  as uniform as possible and never to let chilling occur. Plants re- $1
f qttiring warmth, such as tomato, pepper, eggplant and cucumber. I),
do best at 75 degrees. Fahrenheit, but the more hardy kinds, in-
` ttluding cabbage. cauliflower, onion, and lettuce, grow well at a
temperature I5 degrees lower.
lli(If(’}`f?I£'. Results obtained from the hotbed depend greatly on
how watering is done. The amount of water to apply is governed
by the outside temperature and by the weather, whether bright or
cloudy. l)ttring the cold months, February and March, the bed
~ needs little water, because evaporation is slow. \tVatering every l0
days should be enough. It is best to water only when the day is bright,
and early in the day, so that the plants may have time to dry oil
before the frames must be closed for the night. ln the warm days
of .\pril and early May, evaporation is rapid and more frequent
watering is needed. Overwatering at this season ntay result in
spindling, overgrown plants. To keep them in cheek, water should
be applied in quantity only sufhcient to keep the plants barely
turgid, above the wilting point. Either a sprinkling can or a hose
with a fine nozzle, or a hose with the stream manipulated with the
thumb in order to break it into a hne mist, may be used. ln general.
l enough water should be applied to penetrate to the plant roots.
‘ rather than merely to wet the surface; if plants are to be held in IW
  check. light watering should be the rule. li
t

 Holbreds and Cold Iimntes 1 l
ge. Travis];/attting. Seedlings that have been started in flats in the
te- hotbed should be transplanted to other llats or pots, or back into the
ver bed, but at wider spacing to give each plant opportunity to develop
elt symmetrically and in stocky fashion. Cold lirantes may be used for
ed. the Hrst or a second transplanting. Immediately alter plants have
my been reset, they should be watered thoroly to help them to recover
[OL quickly. The result ol transplanting is improved thrift and stock-
iness.
iate
[llC THE FLUE-HEATED HOTBED
the lnasmuch as manure ol the right kind and in suliicient amount is
Way becoming increasingly difhcult to get, gardeners are turning to the
the use ol` beds heated by llues thru which warm gases from wood or
coal Gres are led. This type ol` hotbed is illttstrated in Figure 7 and
bed in diagram in Figure l. The best location lor such a bed is on a
. re- slight slope to the south. lt. should run up the slope, with the hre-
ber. box at the lower end so that drainage is assured. to keep it dry.
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ye
his FIGURE 7. Flue-heated hotbed. showing nre-box end.
h t ie
neral.
roots. ln the diagram the llues are shown as 6—inch bell tile, but ditches
2ld in boxed with stone, tin or in part with wood may be used instead: in
tight soil. the sides ol` the llue may stand without being lined. The

 l2 /v'mt.ttt¢·/cy lixtcnston Ctrru/ur .\"o. 276
standard width of the bed is 9 feet, and t.hree ffues are needed to I.
spread the heat. uniformly. .—\t the firebox end there should be as S,
nearly as possible 30 inches of soil over the flues, and at the upper
end, lf) inches. The flues should rise at least half an inch to the foot [
so that draft is assured. This type of hotbed may be built any length Ii
under (50 feet; beyond that, heating may be uncertain, unless the 3
i construction is air—tight thruout. The surface of the bed may be S
built up level, as shown in the diagram, or it may take the slope of l_
the adjacent soil. The excavations for the firebox and for the llnes I
should be made accordingly. U
A The size of the firebox depends on the fuel. lf coal is to be used. tt
iq a firebox 2 feet square and 2 feet high is large enough. Six inches t
i from the bottotn, a grate made of pipe or bars should be built in, or f
Q a grate from some old stove may be used. lf wood is to be burned s
  the firebox should have dimensions ample to handle quite large a
l pieces and a grate is not needed. altho having one may prove of ad-
i vantage. The best material for the sides of the firebox is brick or
· suitable stone laid in mortar or in good native clay; the more air»
tight. the construction, the better the fire can be controlled. The
top may be made of arched masonry. or sheet. metal resting on pipe
or bars laid across. The best way to close the firebox (to control the
fire) is with a well-fitted iron door, a door from a cast—off furnace,
for example, but a piece of sheet metal propped against the opening
f wait ao.
The ffues should leave the firebox at its highest point. lf they do
not draw evenly. owing t.o imperfect construction or to direction of
the wind. the trouble usually can be remedied by adding height to
the outlet stack of the faulty flue. (Lenerally, the outer stacks should
be taller than the middle one so that more heat is drawn to the edges
of the bed. No set rules can be given for firing a ffue—heat.ed hotbed.
but after a little experimenting any gardener may work out a system
to suit his conditions.
THE COLD FRAME
fn order to get. the most usefulness from hotbeds a cold frame
y should be used in connection. for. by the time the first transplanting
‘ of the semi-hardy vegetable and flowering plants is made, a cold O
‘ frame gives adequate protection and leaves the hotbed free to be U
f

 Hol[2er{sar1(I Co/(I f'll`(l}I2(?.S` I3
l t0 made over with a fresh lot of manure. for raising another lot of
3 ZM seedlings.
>1)Cl` The specihc uses of a cold frame are several. ln it may be set the
foot transplants from the hotbed to be hardened oil`. lt may serve as a
lgtll place in which S€1l1l·ll21l`(l}’ flowers and vegetables are started, or.
the after the season has advanced, for starting the more delicate mid-
y be season vegetables. A spring crop of lettuce and radishes may be
·e of produced in a cold frame much earlier than in the open garden.
llues Late fall crops of these vegetables can be produced, and held for
use as needed, quite late into the winter. The flower gardener may
1 ld Ira ie for o n ai e del h l l l
lset, use a co ` .11 ‘ s wi _»‘ J 1si   > inium anc co um >ine in
tches the fall. and for holding over the plants for early spring blooming.
11, or lf it is not to serve for any of these purposes, it may be used as a
rned storage pit for cabbage. root crops or potatoes or for `“trench" stor.
large age of celerv.
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'   ~i‘»       ‘‘·.   ·‘i  V ‘   · ‘ ‘i. rel   ?§.§:}77`iZ—‘a; L:  »v»·  
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F‘m1nu»: 8. Fall-sown lettuce maturing m a cold frame.
framt
laiillllf The construction of a cold frame is essentially the same as that
21 (Told of a hotbed. The frame may be permanent or temporary. Per-
3 [0 bt lllHH€lll construction should be of brick or concrete, but heavy plank

 l~l I{r¢nt1u:/cy Extension (liresular No. 27/>
of a durable wood serves well. Altho no pit is needed for the ordi—
l nary use, it is well to provide one, perhaps not so deep as for a hot-
t bed except that if a pit deep enough to hold the amount of manure
to be used under a hotbed is provided, the structure may serve inter
changeably as a hotbed, a cold frame and a storage pit. To prevent
its caving in, the pit should be lined thruout. lf seed is to be sown
in it, such a frame should have the pit partly Hlled with coarse mate
rial, or a false bottom may be put in, and 5 or 6 inches of good soil.
like that reconnnended for a hotbed, placed upon it.
I A temporary cold frame may be merely a frame of light lumber
° set on top of the ground over soil to which plenty of organic matter
l has been added. Xklhichever type of cold frame is made it is of ad·
. vantage to cover it with the sash a few days before it is to be put in
  use, so that sun heat may be stored in the soil and the germination
of seed hastened.
l Management. Seed is sown in the same manner as in a hotbed.
For the Hrst few days, a close atmosphere should be maintained so
that sprouting may take place promptly. \tVhen the seedlings are
up, more air should be given, but carefully, so that chilling does not
occur. It is well to be provided with mats with which to cover the
frames during cold nights and on cold, overcast days. One should
endeavor to maintain a temperature not lower than 50 degrees for
y the semi-hardy vegetables and {lowers. and 65 degrees for the mort
L tender group.
Hardening ofl` is accomplished by giving the plants more air
gradually and by withholding water. Thus growth is checked, the
tissue toughened, and the plants are prepared to withstand the
weather when they are set in the field. It should be kept in mind.
however. that even the semi-hardy vegetable and flower plants
should not be subjected to temperature below freezing, and that
tomatoes and the other "warm" crops may be harmed if the tem
perature of the frame is permitted to drop below 50 degrees.
`