Allotments 4 All

Hi.  Thanks to the kindness of someone here I've now sown and germinated some Blenheim Orange Melon seed.  I've never seen so many roots on seeds of seven days old ( :o) and I've just potted them on into 4" pots on the windowsill. 

Now, I'm planning to grow just one plant on the bottom shelf of my mini greenhouse which is south facing but in semi-shade for part of the day.  I know melons need constant heat and high humidity (I'm in London and quite capable of misting!) but I'm tempted to try creating a hot bed in a pot.  I'm thinking layers of home made compost with layers of grass clippings topped off with MP compost.  Anyone tried this and will it work?

G xx

Hi Georgie,

The heat generated in a Hot Bed, is due to the activity of millions of microbiological organisms going about their day to day activity.

I would not think that the same degree of heat could be generated in a smaller container since the amount of heat generated is proportional to the number and activity of the said organisms.

You could prove me wrong though  ;D

Oh I see.  ???  Was just something I read - either Matt Biggs or Bob Flowerdew - so thought it might be worth a try.

G xx

Go for it, give it a try - nothing ventured, nothing gained ;D

Cheers.  Will do.  ;D

G xx

With those Victorian hot beds you can reproduce them using straw bales to form a bed - on their ends and they piled all the "food" in, eg kitchen compost and manure etc and then put the cues or melons in it after allowing time for the compost to rot and the bed to heat up.  I suppose the same principle could be done in a pot or big bag, although some form of insulation would be required like the straw bales would provide

You'll have to get your thinking cap on.  It's good to try things different rather than always doing the same old thang.   ;D

Small pot in very big pot lined with polystyrene chippings with the things to rot in the small pot.

How about using one of those large polystyrene boxes broccoli fish etc. gets delivered from wholesalers in?
Now theres a thought, I have 2 of them my fushias were sat in over the winter! ;D

Sounds like a great idea! Test it out and let us know if it works  ;D

On a slightly different tack, we grew them in grow bags in a cold house.

I'd have thought big-pot, insulated i.e. wrap it in bubble-wrap. It might not stay hot for long though -even if it gets started- due to the lack of material in there. Make it a black pot so the sunlight does some good too :)

Jeremy

Blimey, so many ideas, what to do?  Tempted by Tim's easy way out but then again... :-\

G xx