The Art of Extending the Seasons

Growing Food in Cold Frames and Cloches

When I moved from Vermont to Oregon, I thought I had arrived in the tropics when it came to gardening. I was delighted to see that there were crops that could be harvested in the winter. I remember harvesting a fresh leek from the cold soil on a December day and triumphantly bringing it in to make soup.

Over 25 years of growing food in the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon, I have just about mastered the art of year round gardening here. The seasons have come and gone so many times that I just intuitively know when it is time to plant and harvest.

Season Extention means to provide protection for plants so they might grow a little early or a little later than they would without protection. Using a thin layer of plastic or glass makes the range of gardening options much bigger. Specifically using cloches and cold frames can make your spring crops mature faster, provide a jump start on the summer crops and allow you to harvest tender salad greens all the way til Christmas.

Whats the difference between a cold frame and a cloche

A cloche is usually portable and designed to be moved around and a cold frame is usually built in long term spot. Often cold frames are built out of wood or other frame materials and situated up against a building or some other thermal mass. Most of the cloches I have seen have thin light frames with a plastic cover, so they can be moved. Really I think the 2 terms are often interchanged.