Hotbeds: The Forgotten Winter Gardening Cheat Code

Using free heat from poop to grow loads of veggies

Where I live, the temperature is in the single digits. It's so cold, the snow is like powdered sugar. Giant, precarious icicles hang from the trees. And yet, I'm growing tomatoes.

They're just seedlings for now. But in a few weeks, they'll be small bushes, too large for my shelves covered in grow lights and heating pads.

So what will happen to them? I'll transfer them to my hotbed, a nifty contraption that has allowed growers to produce food out of season since antiquity. In fact, they once played a critical role in European agriculture. Prior to the First World War, French market gardeners had perfected hotbed growing systems that covered acres and acres of land, supplying the domestic and British market with veggies throughout the winter months.

I have a strong interest in compost heating systems because of their efficiency and simplicity. Hotbeds are among the best uses for such systems. The concept is extremely straightforward: you basically put a cold frame on top of a compost pile. But the details of how you do that are important, especially in very cold weather. If done properly, the technique can allow you to grow food year round in just about any climate, or start your summer seedlings months in advance.

I've been experimenting with hotbed system for the past year, so I'll share what I've discovered and what I plan to do this year. Let's jump in.