Hot Beds !

[jayjay giant]

I am looking for some advice or any accounts of the use of hot beds either in a greenhouse or just in general.
I am thinking of using them in my new greenhouse this winter and wondered if anyone else does the same ?
I have read they were quite popular around a hundred years ago !

Thanks in advance
Jayjay

[grannymem]

Just googled and found plenty of tips e.g.

http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co...tures/Hotbeds/

http://www.theallotmentgarden.co.uk/...-hot-bed-4.php

Hope these help

[Two_Sheds]

I googled too: Hot boxes: Early sowing of vegetables - Frequently Asked Questions - topical advice

there has been discussion on here, if you fancy scrolling through the older threads

[Jeanied]

Hi Grannymem - couldn't make your links work. (Maybe getting rid of the ads at the bottom has stopped some showing)

[grannymem]

Hi Jeanied,

I've just tried and couldn't make the link either! But - if you simply go for
Hotbeds an introduction - The Gardeners Calendar (either google it or directly into the tool bar) you should get there.

Creating a Hot Bed This link was also a problem for me but again - you may be able to get tehre by simply googlin hot beds and you'll find the allotment garden site (with this link) near the top of the page and it will take you there.

Sorry if I've caused problems with my links

[Snadger]

I remember (in the dark and distant past) contributing to a similar thread(s).
One idea mooted which I remember struck a chord was the use of old water filled radiators painted black to construct the beds with. Theoretically these could be joined together and piped around the greenhouse to heat it!
I know the Victorians did it but they had loads of fresh horse muck and loads of labour to regularily turn it!

Good luck with your experiment jayjay!

[zazen999]

I've amended the original 2 links to get them working.

[jayjay giant]

Thanks for your replies everyone and thanks for fixing the links ZAZEN.
I think I will try 2 hotbeds in the greenhouse, 8ft x 3ft and see how iI get on. there are some stables not too far away and I can have as much manure as I like free of charge.
One thing bugging me though is will the wood shavings rot down as well as straw ?

[Snadger]

..........................One thing bugging me though is will the wood shavings rot down as well as straw ?

That could be a bit of a problem as I think strawy manure was used in the past and I don't think manure made with woodshavings would generate the same heat? Having said that, I've had piles of woodchippings which have got very hot in the middle!

[susieq100]

I saw Toby Buckland make a heated propagator on Gardeners' World a few weeks ago.
BBC - Gardeners' World - Toby's 30 minute fixes

Is this of any use?

[bravo2zero]

Hotbed trial

Hi jay jay, i did a little experiment earlier in the year with one of my compost bins. I frequently add layers of pigeon dropping or poultry droppings to speed up the composting process. I covered the said bin with clear plastic and monitored the temps over a period of 3 weeks i think. The startling thing was that the highest temperature went as high as 38f within a couple of days then cooled down very slowly. I have posted a thread about this but cannot remember exactly when. I may be trying again but this time in the polytunnel but with a crop this time say with peas in the depths of winter.

[chriscross1966]

Bravo2zero... I think you mean 38 Centigrade, 38 farenheit is pretty cold...... like 2 jumpers weather unless you're a Geordie

[Snadger]

Bravo2zero... I think you mean 38 Centigrade, 38 farenheit is pretty cold...... like 2 jumpers weather unless you're a Geordie

Like a summers day!

[bravo2zero]

hot hot hot

Centigrade not farenheit , der , yep your right