Thermopane glass that has the low-e coating is not ideal for plants. Most does have it. I go for single-glaze glass. A cold frame can be super-simple or as complicated as you want. The simplest is make a box out of whatever you have, 1x or 2x boards wide as possible. Make the outside demension of the box the same as one or more sash. Make up a growing bed and place the box on it sloping somewhat toward south, 10 degrees or so, just push the south end down and prop up the north end and heap up soil and pile mulch on the north side for insulation. If you don't have hinges just set the sash on the box. On sunny days around mid-morning take the sash off, put them back on mid-afternoon. Cloudy days leave them on or put a block under the sash to ventilate it a little. Works just fine. Take you about 30 minutes.

I like your idea about the black water containers in the frames. I'm doing the same thing and it seems to help. One way to determine that is to have a Max/Min thermometer and record the results. If you have access to straw bales you can surround the frames for added insulation. I have two frames 80" x 36" with white painted 3/4'" foamboard house insulation on the inside that relects light and has an R value of 3 (?) or so. The spinach is doing well and I've just palnted gobs of radishes and some romaine. I made mine from double insulated patio doors hinged on the high side of sloping cedar frames. I built an metal frame with old cast iron window sash weights that acts as a counter weight for the rather heavy door. I reduced the effort to open them from 35 lbs. down to 8 lbs. One way to add more days to the growing season is to cover them with another layer of protection such as a plastic and frame mini greenhouse. I've got more patio doors and I'm thinking about making a temporary greenhouse structure to cover the coldframes in order to grow my beloved veggies. I would also get another frame going because you'll outgrow that one you have now. More is better when it comes to having successive plantings. Check out Eliott Coleman's FOUR SEASON GARDENING. Tons of inspration and cold frame stuff from a master.

I think there is a lot of misinformation out there about what constitutes southern blight. If you see slimy watersoaked lesions and detect a foul fishlike odor, you are most likely seeing a bacterial crown rot caused by an Erwinia bacteria. This is a totally different disease than southern blight which is caused by a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii, and the 2 are treated very differently. All would do well to review this excellent document from Iowa State University: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/sul14.pdf Here is a link that might be useful: Hosta diseases

David, save your money on the cornmeal, it only really ats as a mild fertilizer. Late Blight needs A live host to survive over the winter. That would be tomato plants or fruits or potatoes if you've grown them. If you cleaned up the plants & fruits, you should be ok. Early Blight on the other hand is a different disease and can survive in the soil. Some feel it's best not to till but to just turn over the soil. EB is much more common and not as devastating as LB, which is much more rare in our parts of the country. Either way, if you are not 100% organic, a regular spraying schedule to PREVENT diseases is much, much better than trying to get rid of any diseases AFTER they are already present on your plants. Hope this helps.