Hotbed making continues...

I finally managed to get the photos out of the camera!

8. Add half rotten compost on top of the muck. About 5cm or so. I had to dig out half rotten compost from both of our compost heaps to fill this up. Half rotten/composted means that you can still identify some of the items in your compost, it's not turned to soil yet. Don't put in raw compost though, it needs to have 'cooked' a little bit in your composter. I think the youngest bits in here are maybe 3 months old. You can see that I have started the next and final phase on the back of the plot already.

9. The final layer is a mix of ready compost and topsoil (about 10+cm). Done!

This should last for about 5-6 years. The mound evens out gradually during the years and in the end it will be flat. Best time to make the hotbed is in fact autumn, so that it can rest over winter before you start using it. But it's ok to make like this during spring as well.

First year plants are the ones needing a lot of energy and nutrition. If you build your hotbed like this in spring pop in it only courgettes and cucumbers. During the second year the bed still contains a lot of nutrients, so plant only veggies that need lots of food: pumpkins, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbages, celery, leek... Do not plant any veggies that need poorer conditions in it before 3rd year! For example spinach, lettuces, red beet. You can also plant strawberries in it in years 4 and 5. And the last sixth year is dedicated to potatoes! Try different varieties for different purposes: Pentland Dell is fabulous for chipping, Highland Burgundy Red for the wow factor (red flesh that stays red!) both for chips and mash, Ratte for small firm sallad potatos, and Yukon Gold for its lovely yellow flesh and it's good for roasting as well. O-dear went into lyrical mode out of tatties!! Mmm, but there is a big difference between the different varieties, and please if you do potatoes, do choose some original and different varieties, not just the same old thing you can buy from the shops.

After the 6th year you can still use the bed, just turn it a bit around, add half rotten compost and manure for nutrients.

From experience I can say that if you fancy even a small kitchen garden, please do a hotbed, it really is worth the efford and will deliver lovely veggies for years for your table.