I did this at a 100 year-old farm when I cracked the crust on the compost pile. and found warm, moist soil. I created an arch with PVC pipe and covered it with plastic after planting all my greens. We had 2.5 ft. of snow which created a partially melted snow crust over the plastic. We harvested the crispest, work free salads all winter.
I live in the Arctic, so although raised beds are the *only* way to grow anything outside here, you really only get about four months in Summer to do it. The only upside is that two of those months have 24 hours of sunlight. I'm not really sure a hotbed would make much difference, but i may give it a try.
I hear they are able to grow giant cabbages in Alaska because of the long daylight hours. They just keep growing. Really interesting situation. Have fun!
Fabulous idea for cold winter areas.I live in Florida, so this isn't useful for our tropical area,but have many family members in super cold states that could benefit from this fantastic idea..
Works well I. December-feb in our cooler months I do this yearly in Orlando FL and have peppers, tomatoes, and other veggies before all my other gardening friends..
I’ve saw last year that Charles Downing did that in the GreenHouse, with compost & manures to keep the seedlings warm and the greenhouse at the same time
Thinking of trying this but because fresh muck is hard to come by here or transport without getting divorced I'm thinking of putting 2 or 3 rows of underfloor heating pipes through my 16ft X 30 in raised beds, a number of ways I could do it like a layer of sand with the pipes in it creating a even heat then compost on top in a deep layer, possibly need a separation layer of fabric, or I could maybe put some slabs on top of the sand which would act as a heat distributer, a separation layer and a heat store. Hopefully heating the water with a woodburner of some sort.
I saw a video of some Japanese people doing something like what you speak of. Also, if you've never seen the video (citrus in Nebraska) it's worth watching. Only uses a small fan to heat an entire greenhouse using geothermal.
If you read Jack First's book, he describes other materials you can use to create a hot bed if you have no access to manure. Creating this deep compost layer on top of the soil is important in his system, because it produces the growing medium that you cover your next hot bed with, the following season.
if you dont have manure- then can you do this with used coffee grounds mixed with shredded cardboard, and maybe hay( dried grass) if i have any..?? I use the same material in a worm bin to provide extra heat over winter. Im thinking of doing this to encourage growth for my tai sei ( like pak choy) over winter in a small plastic greenhouse
Wow this is great, I knew about it but didn't know it benefited plant health, thought manure was placed under the bed to give off heat, I would love to do this for my fall and spring crops
Ave you tried sowing the seeds with two to three week intervals? You'll get the same crop or flowers over a longer period of time, enabling you to eat or process your harvest. Also prevents losing all at once due to frost, hail or storm for example. All the best! 🌿👒🐦
@HuwRichards do you expose your soil towards sunlight to keep pathogenic bacteria under control? During entire year do you have sometime where nothing is planted in garden?
A brilliant idea but it begs the question of where can anyone get the raw manure unless you live in a rural area with farms or friendly farmers close by to aquire the manure?
Box stores that sell gardening stuff often sell composted manure, it doesn’t necessarily need to be manure though according to the video. You don’t need manure at all for this I don’t think.
If you did want to try to get some manure from a farmer, you can always meet them at farmers markets and introduce yourself. Farmers can be good people to know.
Call up some local dirt/gravel guys. They usually have cow manure for sale and can get it to you by the dumptruck or load a pile in the back of a pickup.
How did you create the hot beds? Do i understand correctly that your making new ones each year and then spreading the contents on other gardens at the end of the season?
at a guess its filled with garden waste and possibly manure then topped with some soil just prior to planting. At the end of the season the garden waste has composted down and is no longer giving of any heat and is used as any other compost
I built my 1st hotbed a few weeks ago. I'm hoping to get it planted soon. Next year, I will be sure to start it sooner! All these years, I'd heard of a hotbed, but didn't realize that it was any different than a simple cold frame. Why don't more gardeners have hotbeds? Ignorance is not bliss!
How do you know when to plant it? I'm in Germany and we don't have much sunlight in winter and you would have even less in Wales. Do your seedling stretch out and grow weak? Or do you plant only leafy greens that tolerate lower light?
I suppose you just have to experiment. I remember cross country skiing years ago. It was cloudy and very little light out cause of clouds and I got like sunburned almost cause the light reflects off the sun and still comes through clouds.
It's just season extension. You're not growing in the dead of winter (depending on your latitude). Probably just be able to start things ~6 weeks before you normally would. With carrots and lettuce and things like that you may be able to grow year round ... My two cents Check out Charles Dowding if you haven't before
@@rotcaka hes further north than me and would have less light .my first hard frosts are mid December and I would often plant hardy veg out mid April season extension for me is in the dead of winter. he's starting in January which is dead of winter lightwise . I was just wondering which crops he grew that could handle the low light levels. Maybe they grow slowly enough that they don't get leggy?
Jack First made a wonderful video showing how productive his hot beds were in the far north of England. He had long rows of them there, with very low light in winter, but began sowing in January and was selling produce in March. Search his name on YT for the video. His book describes his method in detail and is well worth purchasing. You can also purchase a video course made by Huw and Jack.
@@rubygray7749 im just watching that now thank you. It's a great skill for me in the mountains as we get about two months with occasional very light frosts and I'd like to get some plants going like beans and tomatoes. Do you grow in hotbeds yourself ? Have you had luck with tomatoes and aburgenes?
So looking forward to building my first. I'm off work for a week and so many exciting winter jobs to get going on. Bring it on! 👍😁 P.S. Really enjoyed your online course with Jack on hotbeds, his book is excellent too. Thank you for sharing this wonderful technique!
@@HuwRichardsYou guess? Look up "Tom Selleck on Magnum PI..... Meow! Yes, he's older than that today because that was decades and decades ago. And he's still a very handsome man. It's definitely a compliment to you. ❤️ this was my first video of yours and I hit the subscribe button.
there are people creating new permaculture techniques using modern science .... you dont have to use ancient techniques . modern permaculture is a hundred times better than ancient tech
I did this at a 100 year-old farm when I cracked the crust on the compost pile. and found warm, moist soil. I created an arch with PVC pipe and covered it with plastic after planting all my greens. We had 2.5 ft. of snow which created a partially melted snow crust over the plastic. We harvested the crispest, work free salads all winter.
I live in the Arctic, so although raised beds are the *only* way to grow anything outside here, you really only get about four months in Summer to do it. The only upside is that two of those months have 24 hours of sunlight. I'm not really sure a hotbed would make much difference, but i may give it a try.
I've debated trying to set up a hotbed, but I'm not sure where in my yard, and it seems finicky. I, too, have a short growing season.
I'm in Lapland so there's the added issue of reindeer smashing everything up ! 😅
@@samlee2562 so cool to see people commenting from your side of the fence lol
I hear they are able to grow giant cabbages in Alaska because of the long daylight hours. They just keep growing. Really interesting situation. Have fun!
Brilliant.. and the heat of the waste breaking down creates a cosy atmosphere for the root system😊
My hot bed is currently under the chickens who use it as their winter run! It's their winter vacation.
Fabulous idea for cold winter areas.I live in Florida, so this isn't useful for our tropical area,but have many family members in super cold states that could benefit from this fantastic idea..
What is the methods you use for 🥵 gardening?
@@xaviercruz4763 I’m learning we need to be using shade cloth.
Works well I. December-feb in our cooler months I do this yearly in Orlando FL and have peppers, tomatoes, and other veggies before all my other gardening friends..
I’ve saw last year that Charles Downing did that in the GreenHouse, with compost & manures to keep the seedlings warm and the greenhouse at the same time
I thought he started seeds on top of his hot bed, or not?
I always dreamed of having my own farm 1day wen i do ill put this method in2 work🙏 tnx great channel👍
Thinking of trying this but because fresh muck is hard to come by here or transport without getting divorced I'm thinking of putting 2 or 3 rows of underfloor heating pipes through my 16ft X 30 in raised beds, a number of ways I could do it like a layer of sand with the pipes in it creating a even heat then compost on top in a deep layer, possibly need a separation layer of fabric, or I could maybe put some slabs on top of the sand which would act as a heat distributer, a separation layer and a heat store. Hopefully heating the water with a woodburner of some sort.
I saw a video of some Japanese people doing something like what you speak of.
Also, if you've never seen the video (citrus in Nebraska) it's worth watching. Only uses a small fan to heat an entire greenhouse using geothermal.
Even a regular hot compost pile can be used this way, using only vegetable waste.
If you read Jack First's book, he describes other materials you can use to create a hot bed if you have no access to manure.
Creating this deep compost layer on top of the soil is important in his system, because it produces the growing medium that you cover your next hot bed with, the following season.
if you dont have manure- then can you do this with used coffee grounds mixed with shredded cardboard, and maybe hay( dried grass) if i have any..??
I use the same material in a worm bin to provide extra heat over winter.
Im thinking of doing this to encourage growth for my tai sei ( like pak choy) over winter in a small plastic greenhouse
Thank you for that information
Not very often i find something truly unique. Well done great idea i will definitely be owning that hack for sure mucho gracias
I do the same every December in FL and have healthier larger plants before everyone else
Wow this is great, I knew about it but didn't know it benefited plant health, thought manure was placed under the bed to give off heat, I would love to do this for my fall and spring crops
Succession is my biggest problem …. I usually have loads at once… or nothing , plus not everything is sprouting for me 😢
Ave you tried sowing the seeds with two to three week intervals? You'll get the same crop or flowers over a longer period of time, enabling you to eat or process your harvest. Also prevents losing all at once due to frost, hail or storm for example. All the best! 🌿👒🐦
@HuwRichards do you expose your soil towards sunlight to keep pathogenic bacteria under control?
During entire year do you have sometime where nothing is planted in garden?
I will try this, thank you
Thank you.
How do you keep rats out of it?
A brilliant idea but it begs the question of where can anyone get the raw manure unless you live in a rural area with farms or friendly farmers close by to aquire the manure?
Box stores that sell gardening stuff often sell composted manure, it doesn’t necessarily need to be manure though according to the video. You don’t need manure at all for this I don’t think.
A back yard compost would probably be better to use then buying composted manure I’d think.
If you did want to try to get some manure from a farmer, you can always meet them at farmers markets and introduce yourself. Farmers can be good people to know.
Call up some local dirt/gravel guys. They usually have cow manure for sale and can get it to you by the dumptruck or load a pile in the back of a pickup.
Woodchips heat up a lot if you pee on them or use tree xutters waste
Snip the edge of the seed for 1 to 2 days to seedlings 🌱
Where did the Romans get the plastic?
Probably used waxed linen but that's just a guess thinking about what was available to them.
Dirt patch heaven’s channel has covered this topic immensely.😊
How did you create the hot beds? Do i understand correctly that your making new ones each year and then spreading the contents on other gardens at the end of the season?
at a guess its filled with garden waste and possibly manure then topped with some soil just prior to planting. At the end of the season the garden waste has composted down and is no longer giving of any heat and is used as any other compost
Huw has made several full videos on this, and there is a great course you can buy from his channel, by Jack First
I built my 1st hotbed a few weeks ago. I'm hoping to get it planted soon. Next year, I will be sure to start it sooner!
All these years, I'd heard of a hotbed, but didn't realize that it was any different than a simple cold frame.
Why don't more gardeners have hotbeds? Ignorance is not bliss!
How do you know when to plant it? I'm in Germany and we don't have much sunlight in winter and you would have even less in Wales. Do your seedling stretch out and grow weak? Or do you plant only leafy greens that tolerate lower light?
I suppose you just have to experiment. I remember cross country skiing years ago. It was cloudy and very little light out cause of clouds and I got like sunburned almost cause the light reflects off the sun and still comes through clouds.
It's just season extension. You're not growing in the dead of winter (depending on your latitude). Probably just be able to start things ~6 weeks before you normally would.
With carrots and lettuce and things like that you may be able to grow year round ... My two cents
Check out Charles Dowding if you haven't before
@@rotcaka hes further north than me and would have less light .my first hard frosts are mid December and I would often plant hardy veg out mid April season extension for me is in the dead of winter. he's starting in January which is dead of winter lightwise . I was just wondering which crops he grew that could handle the low light levels. Maybe they grow slowly enough that they don't get leggy?
Jack First made a wonderful video showing how productive his hot beds were in the far north of England. He had long rows of them there, with very low light in winter, but began sowing in January and was selling produce in March. Search his name on YT for the video.
His book describes his method in detail and is well worth purchasing.
You can also purchase a video course made by Huw and Jack.
@@rubygray7749 im just watching that now thank you. It's a great skill for me in the mountains as we get about two months with occasional very light frosts and I'd like to get some plants going like beans and tomatoes. Do you grow in hotbeds yourself ? Have you had luck with tomatoes and aburgenes?
How did the ancient Romans make clear plastic sheets?
Might have used glass.
Would this work in Canada below zone 6?
Yes it's more beneficial for colder climates!
Oh I like! 😮
So looking forward to building my first. I'm off work for a week and so many exciting winter jobs to get going on. Bring it on! 👍😁
P.S. Really enjoyed your online course with Jack on hotbeds, his book is excellent too. Thank you for sharing this wonderful technique!
Mini lod skool greenhouse ❤
My wife would worry about a warm zone for rats!😅
Cats!
❤❤❤
Cries in Canada
I'm in FL. I need less heat, not more.
*laughs in Canadian*
I have above ground garden, but why is hot bed a compost making thing? How are they different? Just a cover atop?
It uses the heat generated by what basically is a compost pile to warm the bed
Huw is it still "worth it" to make this year if it's now going into Feb?
most likely. it might be a late start but you could at least the compost.
Not late at all! I'm doing all mine mid feb
@@HuwRichards I'll investigate, thanks!
@@Rosethatwantstomove that's a good point actually
This is super cool but would never work where I live 😅
Agriculture job
😊
Wow.henny,lndonesia
create lakri jala kar sardyo ma cora sa bhi bchta ha log apni fasal ko..
Wood and I see slugs in their favourite habitat.
...and slugs just looove it also.😭
Wow so obvious when you think of it 😅
England land and weather is a curse!
In a "Top 3 murderer countries"...
Which place do you think England is situated on ???
😹🤭
Has anyone on zone 5 done this? Please report. Thank you.
The romans stole from the Greeks and the Greeks stole from the Egyptians.
say hot beds one more time
Why am I watching this I have no garden
I don’t need to make one of these i sleep in one
In a food forest, you have to simply do nothing
Not true if you want any kind of useful quantities of food
Nice, but imo it's too much effort to destroy the low carbon footprint of your crops.
Unrelated, but Huw, has anyone told you that you resemble a young Tom Selleck?
No they haven't but thank you I guess!;)
No, he doesn’t. He has his own good looking charm.
@@HuwRichardsYou guess? Look up "Tom Selleck on Magnum PI.....
Meow! Yes, he's older than that today because that was decades and decades ago. And he's still a very handsome man. It's definitely a compliment to you. ❤️ this was my first video of yours and I hit the subscribe button.
i wouldnt put it in my garden my neighbours are evil i have a hydro setup inside instead
Try buying the book you can't.
there are people creating new permaculture techniques using modern science .... you dont have to use ancient techniques . modern permaculture is a hundred times better than ancient tech
０．０．０
I mean you didnt explain anything so no where.
hot beds kys hs urdu ma explain kra any one
too hard to understand most of this guy's words