Hot Beds

Regular price €21.99
A01=Jack First
ancient methods
Author_Jack First
Category=WMPF
Category=WMQ
compost
cultivate
early veg
eco-friendly
edible crops
eq_bestseller
eq_home-garden
eq_isMigrated=1
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_new_release
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
garden
gardening
green
greenhouse
grow your own food
growing
horticulture
hot-bed
hotbed
hotbeds
managing
manure
modernised
organic
planning
plants
polytunnel
produce
pros and cons
recycling
reuse
straw
sustainable
varieties
vegetables
year-round

Product details

  • ISBN 9781399419635
  • Weight: 320g
  • Dimensions: 134 x 188mm
  • Publication Date: 11 Dec 2025
  • Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
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A practical guide to cultivating out-of-season vegetables in small spaces, using the age-old technique of growing in hot beds.

The ancient method of hot-bed gardening, once favoured by both the Romans and the Victorians, uses the natural heat generated by decomposing organic matter to grow out-of-season vegetables in small spaces.

In this practical guide, hot-bed pioneer Jack First shows how to adapt and modernise this age-old method to suit today’s gardens. With just stable manure (or eco-friendly alternatives), a simple wooden frame and a modest space, you could be harvesting crisp salads in March and new potatoes in early April.

Featuring hundreds of photographs, this accessible book gives you everything you need to build and maintain your own hot bed. With clear step-by-step instructions, a detailed calendar year and helpful diagrams, it’s a must have for anyone looking to extend their growing season in a sustainable, budget-friendly way.

Jack First is an experienced horticulturalist who has pioneered, developed and fully tested the methods covered in his book Hot Beds. His beds have been featured on BBC's Gardeners’ World, and he works with volunteers on a large plot in Keighley. Jack is the sole supplier to his local wholefood shop of out-of-season greens, new potatoes and salads.