Cold frame

[annie8]

We built a basic cold frame from pallet wood and old greenhouse glass as the lid. I have had problems with mice and other things like slugs eating the tender plants I put in it. It is open to the ground on the bottom and I also get weeds/grass growing in it. Had a bit of old carpet on the ground but it has gone a bit soggy and rotten. I have some weed control fabric and was wondering whether it might work to line the cold frame with that to see if that helped to protect the plants a bit. Feels like a waste otherwise as not using it as much as I’d like to.

[ameno]

The weed fabric would likely help suppress the weeds, but it will only encourage the slugs. Slugs love hiding under that stuff.
It might work if you can make sure there are no edges (and therefore no access points) within the cold frame. This would mean you would have to lay the fabric down first, then place the cold frame on top of it.

[Wilderbeast]

I had the base of my cold frame covered in an inch or 2 of pea gravel over some membrane, the membrane kept the weeds down while the gravel kept the base nice and dry. I copied the idea from several stately home gardens we visited

[burnie]

I shall be growing in the ground in my newly built cold frame, I just used it for storage of container plants over winter, I shall weed it and the fill it with Butternut Squash, me and the slugs will have to fight over the crop.

[annie8]

I like the suggestion about putting the membrane fully under the frame (it can be lifted) then some gravel for the pots to sit on. All for accepting a few loses to the slugs but if I am going to use it for hardening off I would be offering them a banquet of tender little plants which they would find hard to resist.

[annie8]

Put the membrane under as suggested and put a couple of bags of pea gravel in. Really liking it so far, will see if it minimises the slugs and snails.