How to Make Hotbeds With Manure
Well-rotted manure improves soil texture and releases nutrients into the soil, but that's not the only thing manure is good for when it comes to gardening. Fresh manure heats as it decays making it suitable as a natural source of heating for a hotbed. Hotbeds typically serve as an area to start seeds early in the spring before weather conditions allow starting seeds in the soil. Making your own hotbed extends the growing season by several weeks. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Recycled wood
- Cinder blocks, optional
- Recycled window
- 2 hinges
- Eye hook
- Large hook
- Rope
Instructions
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Select a location for your hotbed in an area that receives full southern exposure to take advantage of the sun's rays. This ensures that plants receive adequate light for healthy growth, and is especially important in northern areas where the sun's rays are weak in late winter or early spring.
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2
Remove the soil in the area where the hotbed will be. Dig to a depth of 12- to 14-inches. This forms the base of the hotbed.
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3
Fill the excavated area with 10-inches of fresh manure. Pack the manure into the area with the back of a shovel or hoe.
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Cover the manure with a 4-inch layer of garden loam. The loam seals the manure and begins the decomposition process. As the manure decays, it heats up and warms the garden loam.
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Place a thermometer into the soil to monitor soil temperature. According to Dale T. Lindgren et al. from the University of Nebraska Extension, the soil is ready for planting when it reaches 75 degrees F.
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Tips & Warnings
Use cinder blocks or other recycled material to build a box around the hotbed and cover with an old window frame to create a quick cold frame to get an early start on the growing season, if preferred.
Provide protection from late spring frosts to avoid damage to your plants.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
