If you reside in a climate that gets cold winters, it's suggested that you put some sort of covering over your cold frame greenhouse. For example, you can use mats made of straw or you can use mats that are roll up mats.

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To keep your plants safe from the harsh summer heat, you should put up some wooden slats. You can also protect your plants from the summer heat by using cheesecloth. You could also use shading paint compounds to help protect your plants from cooking in the summer heat.

Standard-sized sash for use on the frame come 3 by 6 feet. If you purchase this, you will have to govern the width and length of your frame accordingly. It doesn't really matter what kind of window frame you use.

In fact, because so many people often get new windows, it's very possible for you to obtain wooden storm sashes for little to no money at all. All you would have to do is contact some local window installers and ask them if they are doing any jobs where the home owner had wooden frames. If so, ask them if you could have them. Most of the time, you shouldn't have a problem obtaining them, because the window installation company would have to dispose of them anyway. You could also put a want ad in the newspaper, that you are looking for free or low cost wooden window frames. It may be easiest for you to obtain the sash and then construct the frame around it.

Here's how we built our cold frame. For the back we used the cement wall of our garage. The frame is 18 inches high in the back, sloping to 8 inches in front, to allow water to run off. Lumber, 2 by 12 inches, 14½ feet, forms the front. The sides are 28 inches long.

The lights (three storm sash) are hinged on a 2 by 4 wooden strip which is nailed to the garage wall. If you live in a cold climate and plan on using the cold frame for year-round growing, build it on a concrete or brick foundation which extends below the frost line. In my area the building code specifies that the frost line is 42 inches deep.

One downside to using a cold frame, which was touched on a little bit above, is how the heat can build up inside the cold frame greenhouse. When the heat builds up inside the cold frame greenhouse, your plants can literally cook, in the heat. You certainly don't want your little money makers to wither up and die. Some methods to combat this were mentioned above.

You should also be sure that your cold frame greenhouse has adequate ventilation and air flow. This information doesn't apply strictly to summer days. You have to even make sure during winter days when the sun is shining that the heat doesn't build up inside the greenhouse.

THE HOTBED

The hotbed is as simple as the name suggests. A hotbed is simply a cold frame greenhouse, except it has a heating source to make sure the plants don't get too cold. Cold frames rely on the plants being warmed strictly by the sun. However, inside a hotbed, the plants are heated with electric soil cables. A hotbed can also be heated by using other methods. For example, you can also heat a hotbed greenhouse with stable manure, steam, or even hot water heated with flues.