On 13 May, 11:56, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
Yes, it's the fresh manure that gets hot as it rots down, and the bales do
to, so giving the plants the heat they need in our uncertain climate. The
manure can be used as normal the following season as it's well rotted by
then.
Don't know about Heligan, it's some time since I've been there and I don't
think I've been during the summer for years, but it's rather like the way
the Victorians used manure to provide heat for pineapples etc.

Heligan, I was there last year, have a melon house which uses a boiler
to hot water pipes under the beds. The pineaple pits are still
functioning and they grow cucumbers on it, it's made with manure and
bark fermenting together and providing the eat. Last year as part of
our Permaculture ceremony we did a project with straw bales. We cooked
our dinner in it - a veggie hotpot which took all day to heat up. I
made a throne with strawberries on either sides in the bales, cosy and
warm and sipped my well earned beer in it )

The Italian chap always had an excellent crop and did this every year so
providing well rotted manure each year too.

Monty showed this a couple of weeks ago though he had the bbc money to
make a fabulous huge and tall wooden bed. I'm doing melons in this
way, but mine is a digged pit because I've spent enough this year on
stuff....