[davidkParticipant]

I appreciate it is may be too early to tell, how did the two ‘Japanese’ beds get-on this year. Going by those beautiful Kabocha, pretty well! I would welcome an update. Will you & the Shumei be doing it again in 2014. Hoping to make a visit to the Shumei Farmers in 2014. & Does Steph make Kabocha Pumpkin Pie? A load of qu.s, making a Perfect Pumpkin Pie is on my list for 2014.

[davidkParticipant]

Yes Secret Gardener, this is the way to go. I visited Charles this last April & saw his Hot beds in full swing, it didn’t half make me very envious. to see all those small plants not only surviving but vigorously growing, in the new greenhouse & outside too.
& eating salad for lunch in April too!!

See Archives above for March & April to get envious!

You’ll need some insulation material to hold the heat, Charles used straw, I have some old insulation panels that I’ll be using in my poly-tunnel in 2014. & maybe fleece too, or a covering material.

If you haven’t read Jack First’s book HOT BED’s, it’s good little read.

Good Luck.

[davidkParticipant]

I’ve tried writing on them, I’ve even seen some lovely copper ones.

I’m going to try carving my labels in future!(on wood)(plenty of scrap about to practice on!)
Might have to abbreviate sometimes!!

Might do it for Apple Trees too whose Labels are fast disappearing like my memory!

[davidkParticipant]

Yes it’s continually pumping out white smoke(steam) from the chimney, after 1 week!

My gut feeling is it’s going to settle 1-2 feet, 300-600mm, & will add more muck(new) later so it can send up the Pope too, & then will be cool enough to put mature manure ontop in Feb to sow all sorts.

The leaves are look’n great @ the moment, can see one branch thru’ one of the side vents.

I’m definitely going to make some more Hot Beds that will turn into ‘no-dig raised beds’
The only problem is my veg garden is alot to manage already for one.

[davidkParticipant]

Well it’s fun to see it working so powerfully, & so quickly!, especially as I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing, just following you Charles & Jack First, How we ever forgot these things I do not know. If flowers appear in the middle of winter it could be amazing!

Light wise, you are probably right, the lemon tree survived last winter under 2layers of plastic, I’m not sure it was that happy though. This next year I hope it will be very happy & produce lots more flowers.

I maybe should have only half filled the bed & filled more later, maybe it will have dropped lots & I can just top it up in Feb.

I certainly will propagate ontop of the hot bed Feb next year. Thank you Charles.

[davidkParticipant]

Yes Lemon tree now in its hot bed with fresh calf bedding much(about 2Tons), & after one day it’s hot & steaming with tons of condensation. It’s got a chimney too! @ this rate the lemon tree may start flowering again. Have I started too early? will I need to replace much, that is very early in spring!? when there will still be frosts about. I’ve insulated the walls will recycled plywood 4″ insulated panels from my old condensing wood kiln, & built a double skin poly-pyramid on top, with side vents thru’ the plastic. The lemon tree is wrapped in corrugated iron from my barns old roof(holding back the much but not the heat); It’s not cost a penny yet!!(OK labour) The whole box is just over 2m square with the walls 1.2m high & pyramid about 3m high total. I’m wondering whether to put some much on top with some worms in it, or leave that nearer to spring?

Will be interesting to see how far out the snow melts from the pyramid-hot-bed!

The Lemon tree is in a Half Oak barrel & will plant next year, with Lemon tree forming its own raised bed, with companion planting: Chives……..@ ground level till next years pyramid!

[davidkParticipant]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hot-Beds-Early-Age-old-Techniques/dp/0857841068

Tris,
This is a wonderful little book, I hope to take my raised beds to another level, a bit like Charles did this last winter. Where he used 3’/900mm high Hot Beds to grow & propagate. I have a lemon tree which I put in a poly-tunnel, in a poly-tunnel last winter & heated it @ great expense.

Now the lemon tree is due to go ‘in’ now, but this year I’m going to try & build a raised hot bed to protect/heat the lemon tree for the winter without the ‘Lecki’ company, having to give me a huge bill next spring.

So my local farmer will supply the ‘muck’ to a demountable able to grow Hot-Bed. Yes the Lemon tree is growing so next year the H-B needs to be a little bigger.

This is probably very mad, but I do love lemon trees! & hopefully I get a few more lemons next year than this year.

[davidkParticipant]

Hello Nadine,
Yes, or as Charles has done in the past, add 2″ strips all-round to top of raised beds:
Nows a good time to start raised beds/NO DIG; Preparing mine @ present for Onions/Garlic, planting biodynamic day is Friday!
http://www.the-gardeners-calendar.co.uk/moonplanting.asp
Good Luck.

[davidkParticipant]

Yes do some of each, see which you prefer. Personally I like them both ways!
Guessing but skin on is better for you!

[davidkParticipant]

http://www.robinsonpolytunnels.co.uk/acatalog/Polythene.html

Give Mr Robinson a ring, he’ll try & help I’m sure.

[davidkParticipant]

Yes I put mine on top, & then mulch, wonderful. I liked it so much I did it twice.
& yes no dig to get them out either. Maybe next year I wont have the last years crop coming up again in strange places. My Charlottes are not strange shaped this year either.

I need to bag mine!!

[davidkParticipant]

Yep my worms love them, & have for 15years, not sure I’m supposed to drink coffee; well one fix a day is hopefully OK!

& then the powerful concoction is spread everywhere every few months!! (with the garden worms to do their bit!

[davidkParticipant]

Yes one of the reasons I got disillusioned with FSC, Woodland Trust, Forestry People etc, they all advocated the use of it!

I don’t know for sure but I feel this is why trees like Ash, Oak, Chestnut etc are all under threat.

I have started Scything around my trees & then putting the mulch back ‘near’ the tree trunk. I have also got new Oaks(& others) coming up from ‘no-where’; very exciting!

[davidkParticipant]

Yes Steamed with every meal. Yes my great success too.
No mildew here but I did plant it last Autumn, very casually, & now I’m digging it up & giving it more space. Should I have cut most of the leaves off?!

[davidkParticipant]

Yes, & spread them about (Chard & Spinach), 1/2 are still where they were.
They were originally planted last summer/autumn. Had some steamed tonight & every night @ the moment. Mind you it started to get v.big in the last few days. (& I gave some away too).
I’ve probably done something wrong, which is why I’ve left some undisturbed.
Some I planted in amongst my strawberries, they are supposed to be good companions, we’ll see.

[Author]

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