Hot Beds: How to grow early crops using an age-old technique: New edition
By (Author) Jack First
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
11th December 2025
2nd edition
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Specialized gardening methods
Paperback
208
Width 135mm, Height 190mm
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.
Jack First is an experienced horticulturalist who has pioneered, developed and fully tested the methods covered in his book Hot Beds. His hot beds have been featured on BBC's Gardeners World. He works with volunteers on a large plot in Keighley and is the sole supplier to his local wholefood shop of out-of-season greens, new potatoes and salads.