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.
Hot Beds: How to grow early crops using an age-old technique
By Jack First
A fully updated practical guide on cultivating out-of-season vegetables in small spaces, using the age-old technique of growing in hot beds.
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All Rights AvailableBook Details
Imprint: Green Books / Pub date: December 2025 / Format: 190 x 135mm / Extent: 208 l Word Count: 33,000
About the Author
Jack First is an experienced horticulturalist who has pioneered, developed and fully tested the methods covered in this book. Jack studied agriculture in the late 1960s and has been involved with farming and horticulture ever since. During the late 1970s he travelled for eighteen months around New Zealand, Australia and the far east. He was a Soil Association symbol holder in Yorkshire for ten years, taught organic gardening at Shipley College, has given public talks to allotment associations and worked in schools setting up organic gardens. He also worked in a wholefood cooperative, producing, wholesaling and retailing organic produce. Before his retirement, Jack worked for seventeen years with volunteers on a large plot in Keighley and managed a horticultural project for people with mental health problems. He is married and has three sons. His hot beds have been featured on BBC’s Gardeners’ World. Jack shares gardening tips and tricks on his Instagram: @jackfirst42
