Haven't done the cold frame thing in many a long year, and there could be new research out there; however, back in the day...,we slanted the top glass towards the south to get the most light into the box. So, keep the snow off. And next year cut the box down at a slant to get the most sunlight.

Just what do you have growing in your cold frame this time of year? I could only keep broccoli, kale and carrots and, for a little while, a few other hearty things growing during the winter.

I used to use really deep boxes, filled with sand and heating tapes, with plants buried in individual pots in the warm sand. Always surrounded by 3 bales of straw.
What do you use for heat? Pondy

Hi Pondy,

Thanks for the reply. I've been sweeping the snow off the frames, so I'm glad to see I was doing the right thing! Yes, I hope next year to modify the frames so they are slanted. I have absolutely no carpentry skills and relied on the last minute help of a friend (who has only somewhat better skills than I do, lol) to build the frames, so I got what I got, lol.

In my frames I have lettuces, spinach, mache, claytonia, parsley, and carrots. The cold weather hit hard and early here this year, unusually so, so I didn't get as many things started and settled in as I had hoped. But I harvested a nice little salad for Christmas Day, so I am happy so far with my first attempt.

My heat source is the sun. :) Very basic cold-framing going on here, lol. Maybe next year, with more time and hopefully more carpentry skills, I can do a bit more.

Thanks for your help!
:)
Dee