Hot Compost inside Polytunnel

[Katog]

I thought I'd make a big hot compost heap in the polytunnel which would add a bit of warmth but my husband said I should find out if it's a good idea - ie would it harm the plastic, encourage disease etc. Any thoughts?

[alldigging]

Sounds like an interesting idea.

[rustylady]

It won't harm the plastic as long as you don't stack the compost so it touches the fabric of the tunnel.

[Cue the Toms]

I would have thought that the composting process would be sped up.. My only con would be that it would take up valuable growing space. If you can justify this then I see no reason why any harm could be done. It may smell a bit though!

Chris

[Two_Sheds]

Your husband could be onto something. The Victorians used to do "hot-bedding" and they're all dead now

[Aberdeenplotter]

The Victorians had a source of "Raw" materials to create their hotbeds, with stable waste in abundant supply. Doubtful if an ordinary compost heap would generate the sort of temperatures the victorians achieved. High temperatures are needed to kill the pathogens that cause disease

[Two_Sheds]

High temperatures are needed to kill the pathogens that cause disease

This is often quoted.

However, a lot of people add cold, fresh, unrotted horse/pigeon/chicken muck direct to their plots. It's not just high temps that kill bacteria, it's also length of time: for instance, 99% of human fecal bacteria will die in just 21 days in winter

Bacteria and viruses cannot penetrate undamaged vegetable skins. Furthermore, pathogens are not taken up in the roots of plants and transported to other portions of the plant.30 However, pathogens can survive on the surfaces of vegetables, especially root vegetables


This explains it all a lot better than I could

[Two_Sheds]

The Victorians had a source of "Raw" materials ... in abundant supply.

So do we. See my link in the post above

[chris]

Personally, I'd not do it as I'd want the maximum growing space... unless of course your tunnel is huge?

[OverWyreGrower]

When I made my new raised beds in my tunnel, I piled in loads of straw/chicken/duck poo, and grass clippings and put the topsoil on top (couldn't afford enough topsoil to fill the beds entirely).

The resulting beds were 'hot' a couple of inches into the topsoil. Now the stuff underneath has rotted down, I'll be piling un-rotted horse poo on top of the beds I'm not growing in over winter, for the same effect.

My only query with your plan is that, as Chris says, you'll be taking up valuable growing space!

[VirginVegGrower]

When I made my new raised beds in my tunnel, I piled in loads of straw/chicken/duck poo, and grass clippings and put the topsoil on top (couldn't afford enough topsoil to fill the beds entirely).

The resulting beds were 'hot' a couple of inches into the topsoil. Now the stuff underneath has rotted down, I'll be piling un-rotted horse poo on top of the beds I'm not growing in over winter, for the same effect.

My only query with your plan is that, as Chris says, you'll be taking up valuable growing space!

Wished I had thought of that

[OverWyreGrower]

It was more out of necessity than forward planning!!

[Katog]

Our tunnel is huge - 60 x 30 feet and does not have much in it yet - just gone up. I've used left over plastic to make tunnels inside the tunnel where I have some seedlings which might not be too late - salad leaves and thought I could make the compost under there to raise the temp - I could even put a table over the top of the heap to get the direct heat and not waste space.
I confess a compost geek and have a supply of spent hops from the brewary and seaweed from the sea mixed half and half to a cubic meter heats up after 3 days and stays hot for 3 weeks.

[OverWyreGrower]

Be careful - you don't want it too hot... even in the autumnal rain and windy weather this weekend, my tunnel got up to 25 degrees in weak sunshine (and we're in a notoriously windy and rainy spot, right on the coast) ... if you've got a tunnel-in-a-tunnel, you could very easily burn young plants, never mind if you've got a 'hot bed' as well...

[Katog]

good point - don't want to cook them yet