A New Cold Frame for Storing Hundreds of Bare Root Hostas
A late winter gardening project that involved potting up hundreds of bare-root plants and building a protective cold frame in which to store them is now complete.
Last week, my gardeners and outdoor grounds crew took on the task of caring for all sorts of bare-root hostas. Bare-root plants are so named because the plants are dug from the ground while dormant, and then stored without any soil surrounding their roots. I ordered hundreds of hostas to plant around the farm - all from Pioneer Gardens, a wholesale company located on the outskirts of Deerfield, Massachusetts. Many of them were stored in a cold frame located behind my main greenhouse. To accommodate the remainder, the crew built a second cold frame using windows I already had - in fact, the window frames were already constructed with angled side panels, which were perfect for this project.
Enjoy these photos.
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- During this time of year, I often order several thousand bare-root cuttings for my gardens. They are potted up and stored until they can be transplanted in the outdoor beds. Pioneer Gardens, our source for this supply, specializes in high-quality perennial starter plants, both field-grown bare root and greenhouse plugs, and sells directly to growers and finishers throughout North America.
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- We received our delivery of several big boxes filled with healthy bare-root hostas and other cuttings. Each box includes 100 bare-root plants. Healthy bare-root plants get off to a more vigorous start because their abundant, fibrous roots have already had a chance to develop unrestricted. Some of the hosta varieties I ordered include ‘Guacamole’, ‘Francee’, ‘Blue Angel’, ‘Regal Splendor’, and ‘Elegans’.
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- My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, uses large markers to label each variety of hosta.
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- For this project, we needed hundreds of one-gallon plastic containers. These pots are available at garden centers, but if you have the room to save pots like these, they come in very handy.
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- A good fertilizer made especially for new plantings is sprinkled generously into the potting medium and mixed. We use M-Roots with mycorrhizal fungi, which helps transplant survival and increases water and nutrient absorption.
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- This medium is made right here at my farm with composted manure from my Friesians. Composting manure above 131-degrees Fahrenheit for at least a couple weeks kills harmful pathogens, dilutes ammonia, stabilizes nitrogen, kills weed seeds and reduces any objectionable odors. As each bare root hosta is removed from the box, Carlos checks each one and untangles any roots. After filling the pot about a third full of soil, Carlos places the hosta inside, making sure it sits low enough to cover all the roots. The soil is then gently filled in around the roots, but not packed too tightly.
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- All the potted hostas are then grouped together and moved to a designated location by variety where they will be maintained until they’re transplanted into the garden beds. The cold frame in the back was filled quickly. In the front are two of the nine cold frame windows I found in the basement of one of the houses I use specifically for storage. I decided they would be perfect for a new cold frame. Historically, cold frames were built as greenhouse extensions tucked against the outer walls with southern exposure outside Victorian glasshouses.
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- The ideal location for a cold frame is a southern or southeastern exposure with a slight slope to ensure maximum solar absorption and good drainage. My flower garden fence will also provide some protection against winter winds.
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- Pete built the shallow boxes for the cold frame windows. He uses large screws and bolts to secure the boards. The width of the cold frame is 47-inches, and he made several sections to accommodate eight windows.
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- The sections were also fastened together with screws. We used lumber that we already had at the farm – everything was repurposed from other projects. I always try to reuse supplies whenever possible.
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- The windows were attached to the boxes using raised barrel hinges.
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- This is the back of the frame after the hinge was installed – the barrel is exposed.
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- The cold frame is now complete and just needs a fresh coat of paint.
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- Here is Fernando checking that all the glass is intact.
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- If planting bare-root cuttings, always do this before new growth starts. This cold frame has enough room for our hostas, a collection of potted anemones, and others.
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- Fernando uses my signature “Bedford Gray” paint to cover all the sides of the cold frame. Ideally, the painting is done before the frame is built, but we were in a rush to protect the plants – temperatures were expected to drop considerably by week’s end.
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- Fernando uses a roller to carefully paint the window frames and casings.
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- Pete paints from the opposite end, covering the shallow box part of the cold frame.
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- If they are in good condition, the plants should sprout leaves in the same year it is planted. Markers are placed to indicate where each variety section begins and ends.
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- These plants will remain here until they are transplanted in their permanent locations.
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- Once the paint is dry, Pete and Fernando carefully close the cold frame windows. The important thing is that the box doesn’t let air inside.
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- More cuttings are potted up in the Equipment Barn and then delivered to the location in my trusted Polaris XP 1000.
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- A ninth window was used to make a smaller frame to house more bare-root cuttings. The windows absorb sunlight, but can and can also be lifted for air circulation, or kept closed to keep out the elements.
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- It is perfect for this space next to the already existing cold frame. Here, one can see the slope of the window facing south.
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- I am so pleased with how it turned out – hundreds of young cuttings are now protected until warmer weather arrives.
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- Using a cold frame is easy, economical, and space-efficient. How do you protect your young dormant plantings in winter? Share your gardening comments with me in the section below.
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