Hot beds: how to grow early crops using age-old techniques

'Jack is a fount of knowledge and the expert on hot beds. When I visited his allotment and saw how advanced and healthy his crops were, it proved to me that these ancient old systems still work a treat and are just as relevant now - if not more so - than they ever were.'  Joe Swift, garden designer and TV presenter

The ancient method of growing vegetables in hot beds, used by the Victorians and by the Romans, harnesses the natural process of decay to cultivate out-of-season crops. Jack First has revived and modernised this remarkable technique, and produces healthy vegetables at least two months earlier than conventionally grown crops.

This practical, illustrated guide has everything you need to understand how to use this highly productive, low-cost, year-round, eco-friendly gardening system. Straightforward explanations and diagrams show how you too can grow early veg without fossil-fuel energy or elaborate equipment.

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.