Hotbed (gardening)
Encyclopedia
In biology, a hotbed is a pile of decaying organic matter
warmer than its surroundings due to the heat given off by the metabolism of the microorganisms in the decomposing pile.
A hotbed covered with a small glass cover (also called a hotbox) is used as a small version of a hothouse (heated greenhouse
). The bed is often made of manure
from animals such as horse
s that pass much undigested plant cellulose
in their droppings. Thus hotboxes are to cold frame
s what hothouses are to greenhouses.
Some egg-laying animals make or use hotbeds to incubate
their eggs: for example the brush turkey.
Organic matter
Organic matter is matter that has come from a once-living organism; is capable of decay, or the product of decay; or is composed of organic compounds...
warmer than its surroundings due to the heat given off by the metabolism of the microorganisms in the decomposing pile.
A hotbed covered with a small glass cover (also called a hotbox) is used as a small version of a hothouse (heated greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
). The bed is often made of manure
Manure
Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
from animals such as horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s that pass much undigested plant cellulose
Cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
in their droppings. Thus hotboxes are to cold frame
Cold frame
In agriculture and gardening, a cold frame is a transparent-roofed enclosure, built low to the ground, used to protect plants from cold weather. The transparent top admits sunlight and prevents heat escape via convection that would otherwise occur, particularly at night...
s what hothouses are to greenhouses.
Some egg-laying animals make or use hotbeds to incubate
Avian incubation
Incubation refers to the process by which certain oviparous animals hatch their eggs, and to the development of the embryo within the egg. The most vital factor of incubation is the constant temperature required for its development over a specific period. Especially in domestic fowl, the act of...
their eggs: for example the brush turkey.