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I have over the last few days, filled one of my compost bins to the top, I only every use the bedding out of the chicken and ducks houses. The rain has wet it all really well and a quick examination shows it is hot, hot, hot. Just capped it off with some well made compost and I am going to sow some winter lettuces and orientals to try and keep all my salad customers happy. I have a few cloche tops to put over so we shall see how it goes. I have a constant supply of animal bedding so I am going to make a hotbed in my big polytunnel later on to start off my tomatoes and peppers in January, try and save on the electric.

that's hot

Well I've read the theory about hot beds and what the Victorian big houses did with them but you're the first person I've met to actually use one digger - I'll be fascinated to see what happens.

Me too. We made one many moons ago, but I don't think we used it how it's intended. We got some rather fresh horsh (as my mother always called it ) which needed to mature, so we put it in a bed in our new greenhouse, covered it with gravel and then grew tomato plants in crates (each held the contents of one growbag, one tomato plant and a tagetes).

I think it was the best year for tomatoes, for us. But there were so many new variables we didn't know what did the trick.

The intention was to scrape back the gravel and retrieve the rotted manure, but I don't know whether we forgot, or moved!

(I wonder if it's still there).

Oh - hot bed. I see.

doofaloofa wrote:that's hot

I know


Had a look under the cloches this morning, the soil is nice and warm, so the cloches are capturing the heat nicely. I will put some pictures up soon

The seeds germinated on day three of being in the hotbed, that is amazing

TBH,DnD,I think your problem,if anything will be to avoid it getting TOO hot.We plant Melons on the compost heap.

ojay54 wrote:TBH,DnD,I think your problem,if anything will be to avoid it getting TOO hot.We plant Melons on the compost heap.

I have wondered if that might happen, at the moment, there is a gentle heat under the cloches, I will keep a eye on the heat. I can always substitute the cloche covers for fleece. This is purely an experiment so we shall see what happens over the coming weeks, I am aiming at providing some rather nice salads for christmas

I always wanted a hot bed... The best I've got at the moment is a raised bed filled with mostly rough compost (had the courgettes in it over summer), and covered with a double layer of holey plastic. I planted some leftover chard in it to see if it gives me at least something fresh over winter.