With what and when do you do it?

Prepare the warming filling - this is how it works

The particular advantage of a cold frame is the natural heat development. Here seeds can germinate and young plants thrive if there is still snow in the garden. The natural heating results from the following filling:

• Horse manure with a third of straw or leaves
• Humus garden soil, enriched with ripe compost and horn shavings

To the Horse manure the task is to develop heat as a result of its decomposition. This rises to the Compost soilto revitalize the soil organisms there. Seedlings and young plants benefit from this interaction as they already thrive when the garden is still in deep hibernation.

Filling the cold frame - this is how you do it right

The prepared fillings are ready to hand at the designated location for the cold frame. How to proceed step by step:

• Dig a 50 cm deep pit
• Line the bottom of the pit with close-meshed vole wire
• Cover it with a layer of leaves or straw

Fill in the horse manure on the mat up to a height of 20 cm. This is followed by the prepared mixture of garden soil and compost, which also forms a 20 cm thick layer. If you do not want to remove the bed soil elsewhere in the garden, you can of course use the excavation for the filling.

Renew the filling every year

The content in the cold frame only fulfills its function as a natural heat supplier for one season. In order to reap the benefits next year, dig up the filling in autumn and fill the pit with fresh horse manure in spring. You can use the decomposed organic material for the supply of nutrients in the ornamental and kitchen garden.