With weather 12 degrees above average and apricot blossoms opening, its hard not to think about putting seeds in the ground. Yet, last frost date is still six weeks away (mid-April) and seedlings suffer from Albuquerque’s brutal spring winds. Don’t hesitate to plant as long as you take extra procaution to protect young growth. We practice two methods of early planting you may want to try at home.
First, we built a simple cold frame where we placed seed trays full of warm season seeds, like tomatoes and peppers. Bard built a three-sided wood frame topped with a recycled, glass showerdoor, laying at a 45 degree angle. We placed the cold frame against the south side of the house, using the adobe wall as the fourth side of the structure. In addition to the thermal mass of the wall, Bard lined the back wall with beer bottles full of water. Both these elements collect heat from the direct sunlight, then emit the heat at night when air temperatures fall. We sealed all the frames and they seam to retain nighttime warmth. During warm days, we crack the door so seedlings do not over-heat. We close the door every night and during windy afternoons.
Secondly, we direct sowed cool weather veggies (lettuce, carrots, spinach, chard, onions, etc) in several growing beds and then covered them with row cover called reemay. We facened hoops out of salt-cedar branches to keep the reemay off the ground. Rocks and bricks hold the fabric down at its edges. We make sure soil of all seeds and seedlings stay evenly moist.
Tags: cold frames, cool season plantings, extending growing season, row cover
