Hot Beds: How to grow early crops using an age-old technique

A fully updated practical guide on cultivating out-of-season vegetables in small spaces, using the age-old technique of growing in hot beds. The ancient method of growing vegetables in hot beds harnesses the natural process of decay to cultivate out-of-season crops. Now in its second edition, in Hot Beds, Jack First shares essential tips on how to reap the rewards available from modernising and adapting this remarkable technique used by the Victorians and the Romans. With just stable manure (or alternatives), a simple frame and a small space to build your bed, you can be harvesting salads in March and potatoes in early April. This accessible guide has been redesigned to clearly illustrate everything you need to understand how to use this highly productive, low-cost, year-round, eco-friendly gardening system. The new edition also features a foreword by Huw Richards and revised text throughout, as well as updated photos and diagrams to show how you too can grow early veg without fossil-fuel energy or elaborate equipment. Make the most of compact space with this low-cost, sustainable approach.