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Re: Raised beds

Hello one and all.  
You have been an excellent resource for me in the past
and I thought I would put another question past the
collective group.

I was just reading a book called Solar Gardening by 
Leandre Poisson and Gretchen Vogel Poisson.
In his book he describes using "appliances" (small portable 
greenhouse covers for his beds).

While he does not use the term SqrFoot, his intense gardening
otherwise passes all the tests.  His primary winter beds are
4x8feet just like mine. 

His primary appliance is a Pod.  It is 4x8 Feet with a raised
top.  In his case he used Two sheets of special clear 
fiberglass (SunLite(tm))seperated with some angel wool insulation.
The SunLite was mounted in a wooden frame that allowed it to 
curve over the bed with closed plywood ends.  He uses thin wall
electrical conduit in the middle to 1) keep the SunLites apart
and 2) attache the angel wool to so it does not slide around
and 3) make these Pods able to take highwinds and snow.

He claims (and I can't find the table off hand) that using 
1 layer of SunLite worked okay.  That using 2 Layers with
an air gap worked much better. He claims twice as good 
but I don't recall him quantifiying it in numbers.
  But that using 2 layers with
a layer of angelwool insulation worked much better.  His numbers
did indicate that the insulated Pod did not get as warm during the
day (8 degrees lower at highest temperature) 
but made a difference in how cold the Pod got at 
night.  It was warmer by (coincedently) 8 degrees at it's coldest.  
He claimed that his plants seemed to do better with the lower 
temperatureswing from low to high.  

Poisson big thing was the he was able to grow 12 months out
of the year in New Hampshire where he lives.  His second major
theme was that this allowed him to grow plants out of phase
with their normal predators.  So when the Squash Vine borer
comes wandering around, he had already harvested.

I have read here of numerous people here using single layer
PVC hoop houses etc.  Does anyone here have any experience
with "double glazing"  Using two layers, Is it that much better?
And has anyone done anything with insulation inbetween.
I am intrigued with Poisson pods and he claims they should last
25 years, but at an estimated cost of $250 apiece I am leery to try.

My plan (subject to modification based on your inputs) is to try
this using plain thick clear plastic sheeting with angel wool inbetween.
By not using the expensive plastic (with resulting shorter life span)
I believe I can make them for about $25-$35 apiece.  
(assuming angel wool is not too expensive...)

I look forward to any and all input.  Thanks in advance.
Sorry the post is long.  

Ron Souliere (just in from shoveling snow and need to 
go out and do it again already.  I really need  to fix the
old snowblower...)

Oh and thanks to all the suggestions on use of the heating cables.
I will let you know how all this turns out.
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