winter grow in a cold frame, Is it possible in the uk??

[lusus]

Hi all

I have grown some short stuff outdoors in spring and summer a couple of times.

I can't really say I get much smoke out of them but I like the plants and will carry on growing them for as long as I can produce seed.

My problem is that summer in the UK is too short so I would like to try and grow them during winter as well but with out having to set up an indoor cabinet.

I have read a post somewhere of a guy mentioning his friend that grows in Aberdeen in sheds and harvested in December and the idea got me inspired....

Has anybody here done this? Without additional lighting?
Can it be done at all?

Now my little plants never grew more than a foot tall, if that at all, so I'm thinking of using a cold frame instead.

I have managed to keep some herbs (parsley, chives, thyme, etc.) alive in the cold frame in the past during winter.

Just not sure the SS plants would be able make it to bud/seed production.

Any help would be very appreciated

Cheers

 

[toppin]

Sorry mate but i think your pissing in the wind with that one.

Maybe worth upgrading to a micro grow.

 

[Harry Gypsna]

The only way that will work is with some lights, in which case you may as well grow indoors anyway mate.

 

[944s2]

The only way that will work is with some lights, in which case you may as well grow indoors anyway mate.

as harrys says,,,only going to happen with lamps in the shed etc ,,,,peace and regards 944s2

 

[sergiana]

Yep there is thermal imaging and stink to deal with outside doing that so technically yes you can with heating pads and lights.

You don't want to for the sheer hassle and the chance of getting caught/ripped off.

 

[aloneinthewoods]

the Victorians grew all manner of tropical fruits in the uk year round don't be put off i would say yes it can be done if you want it to happen they are growing bananas now in Iceland with geothermal energy it takes two years instead of one to fruit because of the lower light conditions expect low yields but if you can heat the cold frame it will work can u get a ready source of manure ??? research Victorian pineapple and peach / nectarine growing you may be surprised

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

A greenhouse has a high enough ceiling that during the day the worst hot air can rise above your plants. Even then they require ventilation. Cold frames are good for low growing herbs and starting small plants. Even with short growing cannabis they'll be exposed to wild temperature extremes, not to mention times of crazy high humidity with condensation. Moldy buds or cooked buds is likely. Many times I've tried to protect my garden plants from frost and ended up frying them. And you're pretty far north with very few winter daylight hours for the plant to go through its cycle. But what the heck, it's a learning experience. Give it a try and show us that we're wrong.

 

[MJBadger]

Not enough natural daylight & too cold a temperature .

 

[TanzanianMagic]

The only way that will work is with some lights, in which case you may as well grow indoors anyway mate.

The low temperatures alone cause enough nutrient lockout to make an unheated winter grow impossible.

However, there are strains that can stay outdoors for a very long time, usually from mounains or highlands.

Mazar-I-Sharif, Himalaya Gold, the various Himalaya strains from The Real Seed Company.

However starting a seedling in winter time means you immediately get P and K lockout, which makes proper rooting impossible.

 

[Claude Hopper]

Grow indoors. I've often been stunned by the crops people push out of PC cases, small garbage cans, dresser drawers, etc.

I few years ago I was forced to grow out a seed crop indoors without a grow room. I had access to a small unused and unheated bedroom with south and east windows.

Though it was often near freezing at night, I was able to save my old mix of late 70/early 80 sativas.

 

[Swamp Yankee]

Something that can help temp fluctuations is a passive heat storage system. Try jugs (plastic work well as you can paint them black), fill with water and place around the plants. Also rocks can work. If you have fan setup you can draw heat from the top of the frame and blow across the heat storage. More options can be found be searching for passive solar heat storage tips.

 

[vostok]

The answer depends very much on your local climate, I would suggest that you don't grow during the worst coldest 2 months, I have grown in the wort places and best places on earth, not to wave my flag, but cannabis is one very tough plant, next time you have an inwanted male, don't toss him out just put him in the freezere for a month....you will be surprised ....LOL
Right now I'm growing Short Stuff N#1 auto. the worst strain that I 've ever grown, is a paltry plant hardly worth any effort, but I'm growing it to breed with my good stuff ...more later....for your conditions you really need to up the game take a look at the cold weather specials at the Swedes ..http://www.nordenseeds.com/en/ ..they once had the famous Viking strain the best cold weather special yet ..
You have 2 approaches to the plant continue trying to grow thru the winter or just grow 2 times as much in the summer ...?

 

[armedoldhippy]

as far as the low temps go, they make heating elements for dog houses called "hound heaters". they look just like light bulbs(no light), but are made from ceramic that dissipates the heat from the element inside. a short cold frame with a translucent cover & supplemental T-5 lights would not stick out if you reverse wired a "dawn to dusk" light trigger so it came on as the sun rose...

 

[5th]

as far as the low temps go, they make heating elements for dog houses called "hound heaters". they look just like light bulbs(no light), but are made from ceramic that dissipates the heat from the element inside. a short cold frame with a translucent cover & supplemental T-5 lights would not stick out if you reverse wired a "dawn to dusk" light trigger so it came on as the sun rose...

And that....is a great fuckin' idea.

 

[BagAppeal]

If you really have space and time on your hand, check out the jean pain method for composting.
In this technique you can use the heat inside the compost heap and transfer it to a hot water heating system, which I assume can be used to heat a numerous amounts of structures, including a greenhouse. If you do have to use some additional lighting in the end of the season, I am sure the months ahead will be well worth it, as those months have saved you a massive amount on veg time, as well as the initial flowering phase.
If not, a wallapini could be something of a greenhouse to keep out more of the cold climate..


All the best

BagAppeal