are these good for outside?

crazychris2409 · 23-01-2012, 08:31 PM

ive heard a few people say that these cold frames are good for outside runs, are they good, or would you avoid? your thoughts please

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2708589464...#ht_3339wt_932

suttysue · 23-01-2012, 09:13 PM

i use one just by attaching it to the side of the enclosure. I just cut a hole in the side of it so the torts could go in if it rained or was too cold.
Mine loved it. But this is not the one I bought.
Sue

burnt toast · 23-01-2012, 09:31 PM

It will need weighting down, you could mount it on heavy wood or a brick base,leaving an entrance for torts. Have a look on greenfingers.com to compare prices as the quality of theirs is very good.

burnt toast · 23-01-2012, 09:34 PM

As to wether they are good or not. My bigger torts have a greenhouse which they love. I have heard mixed reports about cold frames, I think it depends on individual torts

Pussygalore · 24-01-2012, 08:05 AM

my adults never used their coldframe even though it had lovely sandy soil, it was intended as a poss nesting site but obviously wasn't good enough for her. I'm going to try it in Bolder's run this year (my sully) and see whether she likes it better. But as its been said they are very flimsy and have to be mounted besides its easier to mount one and leave a gap in the base than try to cut into a side of the frame, plus put the frame on a paving slab to stop rain water from running in, it will stay nice and dry then.

burnt toast · 24-01-2012, 10:00 AM

I have had more success if the greenhouse/coldframe is actually attached or right up close to their house, so as they have to walk through it to get outside, rather than freestanding. Dont know if anyone else has found this?

They come out (or head in if weather poor) & realise oh its not too cold in here + nice & light. The paving slab is a good suggestion + if you paint it a dark colour (they have small tins of mat black paint in my pound shop at the moment

) the paving slab will act as a heat soak, absorbing heat throughout the day & they like sitting on it to get warm!

Pussygalore · 24-01-2012, 11:11 AM

we put soil/sand on top of the paving slab so they could dig etc and the soil gets nice and warm, the slabs are merely to raise the base a bit so if the ground does get wet/muddy it doesn't seep into the frame. There was several inches of lovely digging material for Tootsie but it wasn't right and she chose to try to dig in the hardest spot in the whole garden. I'm putting a ceramic heat bulb in the frame when it goes in Bolders garden, it will be her house etc and we'll see what she thinks of it.

JoesMum · 24-01-2012, 11:50 AM

Joe loves his cold frame... similar to the one on eBay but with wooden sides.
I put it on a flower bed in the place in the garden that gets most sun first thing in a morning.
He likes to have the earth underneath to dig into a little.
There's usually a little hay or straw in the closed end as he likes to push under it.

Pussygalore · 24-01-2012, 12:03 PM

yours looks like its home made and much sturdier than the brought ones, I'd still though have placed it on slabs first as doing that will help stop the soil inside becomming to damp and cold.

JoesMum · 24-01-2012, 02:14 PM

As you can see from the photo, the soil inside stays dry (It was taken this morning and it's tipping down) I think the fence helps to protect it.

We had it on slabs, but Joe wouldn't use it.

I bought this one from B&Q about 10 years ago (it's had a lick of wood preserver since)

23-01-2012, 08:31 PM	#1
crazychris2409 Member Egg Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Cheshire Posts: 77	are these good for outside? ive heard a few people say that these cold frames are good for outside runs, are they good, or would you avoid? your thoughts please http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2708589464...#ht_3339wt_932

24-01-2012, 10:00 AM	#6
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,245	I have had more success if the greenhouse/coldframe is actually attached or right up close to their house, so as they have to walk through it to get outside, rather than freestanding. Dont know if anyone else has found this? They come out (or head in if weather poor) & realise oh its not too cold in here + nice & light. The paving slab is a good suggestion + if you paint it a dark colour (they have small tins of mat black paint in my pound shop at the moment ) the paving slab will act as a heat soak, absorbing heat throughout the day & they like sitting on it to get warm! Last edited by burnt toast; 24-01-2012 at 10:09 AM.

24-01-2012, 11:50 AM	#8
JoesMum Member Hatchling Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Kent Posts: 717	Joe loves his cold frame... similar to the one on eBay but with wooden sides. I put it on a flower bed in the place in the garden that gets most sun first thing in a morning. He likes to have the earth underneath to dig into a little. There's usually a little hay or straw in the closed end as he likes to push under it. __________________ 1.0.0 Testudo Graeca Graeca (Mediterranean Spur Thigh) raised from very small and approximately 50 years old.

24-01-2012, 02:14 PM	#10
JoesMum Member Hatchling Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Kent Posts: 717	As you can see from the photo, the soil inside stays dry (It was taken this morning and it's tipping down) I think the fence helps to protect it. We had it on slabs, but Joe wouldn't use it. I bought this one from B&Q about 10 years ago (it's had a lick of wood preserver since) __________________ 1.0.0 Testudo Graeca Graeca (Mediterranean Spur Thigh) raised from very small and approximately 50 years old.

23-01-2012, 09:13 PM	#2
suttysue Senior Member Sub Adult Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: UK / Eng / Yorkshire Posts: 1,483	i use one just by attaching it to the side of the enclosure. I just cut a hole in the side of it so the torts could go in if it rained or was too cold. Mine loved it. But this is not the one I bought. Sue

23-01-2012, 09:31 PM	#3
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,245	It will need weighting down, you could mount it on heavy wood or a brick base,leaving an entrance for torts. Have a look on greenfingers.com to compare prices as the quality of theirs is very good.

23-01-2012, 09:34 PM	#4
burnt toast Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,245	As to wether they are good or not. My bigger torts have a greenhouse which they love. I have heard mixed reports about cold frames, I think it depends on individual torts

24-01-2012, 08:05 AM	#5
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	my adults never used their coldframe even though it had lovely sandy soil, it was intended as a poss nesting site but obviously wasn't good enough for her. I'm going to try it in Bolder's run this year (my sully) and see whether she likes it better. But as its been said they are very flimsy and have to be mounted besides its easier to mount one and leave a gap in the base than try to cut into a side of the frame, plus put the frame on a paving slab to stop rain water from running in, it will stay nice and dry then.

24-01-2012, 11:11 AM	#7
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	we put soil/sand on top of the paving slab so they could dig etc and the soil gets nice and warm, the slabs are merely to raise the base a bit so if the ground does get wet/muddy it doesn't seep into the frame. There was several inches of lovely digging material for Tootsie but it wasn't right and she chose to try to dig in the hardest spot in the whole garden. I'm putting a ceramic heat bulb in the frame when it goes in Bolders garden, it will be her house etc and we'll see what she thinks of it.

24-01-2012, 12:03 PM	#9
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	yours looks like its home made and much sturdier than the brought ones, I'd still though have placed it on slabs first as doing that will help stop the soil inside becomming to damp and cold.

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