The so-called "hungry gap" occurs in early spring when there is little fresh produce to be harvested and winter stores are running low. Fortunately, there's a simple way to solve that problem, and it's been around in various forms for thousands of years.
@huwsgarden The power of hot beds🌿 #permaculture #gardening #gardenproject #fyp ♬ original sound - Huw Richards
TikToker Huw Richards (@huwsgarden) shared his methods for enjoying delicious homegrown vegetables year-round: hotbeds.
The scoop
In the video, Richards explains that hotbeds in his garden are "the most valuable space per square foot." In essence, a hotbed is a hot compost heap used to grow early crops. The box-like structure acts as a miniature greenhouse, using the heat of the compost and the lid to protect seedlings from the cold.
As he explains, this extends the growing season and allows you to sow seeds in January for a March harvest. It also makes it possible to succession plant, which is to keep seeds in constant rotation for year-round yields. This provides excellent compost for mulching other beds in the garden. The video mentions another big advantage of hotbeds: They use space very efficiently.
"What a hotbed is is a perfect example of one of my favorite permaculture principles, which is stacking functions," he says.
The clip concludes with a summary of hotbeds' key benefits and how they can make a garden more productive.
How it's helping
Hotbeds are a great example of natural, low-tech solutions to a more sustainable form of agriculture. Most produce in supermarkets in the United States travels over 1,500 miles from farm to table, according to the National Center for Appropriate Technology.
Pesticides used in industrial agriculture also have a major impact on the environment; runoff contaminates the soil and surface water. Additionally, most farms use tilling to treat the soil, which releases harmful pollution into the atmosphere.
Growing your own food is a great way to reduce waste and your pollution output. A small investment can pay dividends for years to come. Not only that, homegrown veggies are significantly more nutritious than store-bought produce.
What everyone's saying
The comments were a blend of appreciative comments, some questions, and pledges to try it themselves.
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Making it look better 🌱 One commenter said, "Amazing! I love this, so smart! Thank you fir [sic] teaching me, I really want to do this."
Another added, "Wonderful informative post."
Another commenter was inspired to put the ideas into practice, saying, "Well explained - heading to the garden!!"
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