Hi Sandy,
Funny you should ask this question. I am wondering the same thing. I've just been looking at the Grower's Supply catalog and thinking, hmmm.. do I really need to spend money on a cold frame AND a greenhouse, if the greenhouse is unheated? Especially when they're both made of polycarbonate and an aluminum frame? The only difference being size. They're both season extenders in the long run. If you're starting cold crops, like spinach, lettuce, beets and you're only growing enough for yourself or your family, a cold frame would be sufficient. But if you're growing for a market and you plan on a larger space need, you'd probably want the greenhouse. Of course you may not want to have tomatoes and cold crops going in the greenhouse at the same time, since tomatoes and peppers need more heat.

Hope this is helpful. If I'm steering Sandy wrong, please anyone chime in here, because I'm curious about this too.

Personally, I love my greenhouse and my mother loves hers (she lives in zone 5 E. Washington). We both heat ours. She generally starts her garden in the greenhouse around the beginning of March. She grows tons of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, etc.

I'd be hesitant to grow summer crops "indoors" as it can get quite hot in E. WA in the summer. Perhaps if you used shade cloth you could get away with it. Being on a lake will help to moderate temperatures a bit. In terms of whether to use a cold frame or greenhouse - I think it depends on what plants you want to start.

i think it's still worthwhile to consider fencing your vegetable garden. There is fencing made that is tall enough for deer (www.deerbusters.com is one source); another fencing trick is to have two shorter fences with a space between. The story is that deer don't like to jump wide and high.

I use deer repellent in my yard and it works well. The main ingredients seem to be garlic and rotten eggs. Believe it or not it doesn't stink when it dries and is supposed to be safe for edibles. I mostly use it on my roses as that's what is attacked most voraciously in my yard. There is a recipe for repellent; I can forward it if you like.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the replies.

I hadn't been planning on heating my hoophouse as I'm guessing it would cost a small fortune. Which is guess is another 'Stupid Newbie Question'.....what DOES it cost to heat a small hoophouse and what temperature should it be heated to?

Our current plans for our new lakefront cabin are to live there during the warmer months and then head south (probably to Baja) for the more frigid months....so I won't be trying to keep plants happy during the winter. I really only want to get a head start on planting veggies and I'm still trying to figure out how to outsmart pesky mule deer that still think this land is their land!

I'm currently thinking of planting seeds in a cold frame (maybe I'll add some heating cables sometime) which will be nearer to the house so I can keep a watch on them. Then I'll transplant them to a (unheated)hoop house (up on our penninsula). When all danger of frost is over, I'll replace the plastic with netting (which I'm hoping will keep the deer from feasting and yet still let bees in and it won't get too hot for the veggies).

And another 'stupid question'... If last year is any indication of what we can expect weatherwise in Republic, WA....it is very cloudy in the Winter/Spring. With little or no real sunshine, will a hoophouse still provide any freeze protection? Should I add some fluorescent lights?

Thanks!

Sandy