Comments on: ‘Bastard Trenching’ - I get it http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/ Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:22:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: My Tiny Plot » Blog Archive » Dig Life into Your Soil http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-37969 My Tiny Plot » Blog Archive » Dig Life into Your Soil Sun, 30 Dec 2007 12:59:52 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-37969 [...] here at mtp. Surely a travesty. The only reference I could find was this short post on ‘Bastard Trenching’. I know everyone has a different digging regime but here at mtp it usually goes a little like this. [...] [...] here at mtp. Surely a travesty. The only reference I could find was this short post on ‘Bastard Trenching’. I know everyone has a different digging regime but here at mtp it usually goes a little like this. [...]

]]> By: mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-12135 mtp Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:59:31 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-12135 Thanks for the advice Ginge. I think I'll give it a go this year and see how it works out for us. I'm not saying that BT is the best option - just that I recently found out what it is and so thought I'd give it a shot. Thanks for the advice Ginge. I think I’ll give it a go this year and see how it works out for us. I’m not saying that BT is the best option - just that I recently found out what it is and so thought I’d give it a shot.

]]> By: Gingerhev http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-12067 Gingerhev Sun, 25 Feb 2007 10:21:44 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-12067 Hello all, just googled and came up with this site - good show! I've had my 2 allotments down here in Dorset for 7 or so years now and attempted bastard trenching then realised what a back-breaking waste of time it was. Rotation is a good way of sorting your soil depth and cultivation e.g. in your shallow cultivated soils grow your shallow-rooted plants and your runner beans for which you HAVE to dig a trench and fill with kitchen waste, newspaper etc don't you? Plant potatoes in most of the rest helping to break down the deeper soil. Annual flowers for cutting don't mind shallow soil either - do you see where I'm going with this? The following year you've got a lovely deep bit where your beans were AND you've left the nitrogen-rich roots to dig in haven't you! So blah blah blah rotate and the work is done for you! Hello all, just googled and came up with this site - good show!
I’ve had my 2 allotments down here in Dorset for 7 or so years now and attempted bastard trenching then realised what a back-breaking waste of time it was.
Rotation is a good way of sorting your soil depth and cultivation e.g. in your shallow cultivated soils grow your shallow-rooted plants and your runner beans for which you HAVE to dig a trench and fill with kitchen waste, newspaper etc don’t you? Plant potatoes in most of the rest helping to break down the deeper soil. Annual flowers for cutting don’t mind shallow soil either - do you see where I’m going with this?
The following year you’ve got a lovely deep bit where your beans were AND you’ve left the nitrogen-rich roots to dig in haven’t you! So blah blah blah rotate and the work is done for you!

]]> By: mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-11230 mtp Fri, 16 Feb 2007 11:04:53 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-11230 Thanks Mel - I'm always interested to try new things (and learn old ways) so I think I might try 'no-digging' on one part of mtp and see how it goes. Thanks Mel - I’m always interested to try new things (and learn old ways) so I think I might try ‘no-digging’ on one part of mtp and see how it goes.

]]> By: Mel http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-11152 Mel Thu, 15 Feb 2007 19:56:51 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-11152 When I took over my allotment it was full of dpee-rooted weeds, and when I dug them out I found all kinds of rubble, glass and loads of other junk in the subsoil. So we needed some serious digging to get the ground into a state where it could be cultivated. This is true even when you take a no-dig approach. It doesn't mean "never dig", just "don't dig every year". There's a bit of a puritanical tendancy to assume that more digging is better. One allotmenteer I know boasts that she triple-digs every inch of her plot. Well she's bonkers. Digging upsets the natural structure of soil. So it's a good thing to do when your ground is compacted or full of junk but once you've got it clear then just fling compost or manure on top, maybe work it into the topsoil a little with a fork if you want, but mostly leave it for the worms. When I took over my allotment it was full of dpee-rooted weeds, and when I dug them out I found all kinds of rubble, glass and loads of other junk in the subsoil. So we needed some serious digging to get the ground into a state where it could be cultivated. This is true even when you take a no-dig approach. It doesn’t mean “never dig”, just “don’t dig every year”. There’s a bit of a puritanical tendancy to assume that more digging is better. One allotmenteer I know boasts that she triple-digs every inch of her plot. Well she’s bonkers. Digging upsets the natural structure of soil. So it’s a good thing to do when your ground is compacted or full of junk but once you’ve got it clear then just fling compost or manure on top, maybe work it into the topsoil a little with a fork if you want, but mostly leave it for the worms.

]]> By: Luke http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-11037 Luke Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:31:01 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-11037 Thanks, that helps. My plot was like a scene from Jurassic Park with all sorts of vegetation just a while back. Realistically, a bit of digging will still be needed a while yet. As for bastard digging....if you want a bash at my patch then let me know! Thanks, that helps. My plot was like a scene from Jurassic Park with all sorts of vegetation just a while back. Realistically, a bit of digging will still be needed a while yet. As for bastard digging….if you want a bash at my patch then let me know!

]]> By: mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-11009 mtp Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:28:30 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-11009 Hi Luke - I don't know anything about no-dig as I haven't tried it yet but Wikipedia seems to know something. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-dig_gardening And 'shock horror'- our very own W E Shelwell-Cooper is listed as the 'pioneer' of no-digging. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shewell_Cooper Well knock me down... Hi Luke - I don’t know anything about no-dig as I haven’t tried it yet but Wikipedia seems to know something. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-dig_gardening

And ’shock horror’- our very own W E Shelwell-Cooper is listed as the ‘pioneer’ of no-digging. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shewell_Cooper
Well knock me down…

]]> By: Luke http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-10980 Luke Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:14:52 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-10980 hi matron, quick question because I am just starting out. If you don't dig and you pile compost on top all the time, don't the beds end up really high? I can imagine my veg rolling out of bed ....because the little one said!...you know? I took on a plot in Barnet, n. london last autumn and dug most of it in time for some frost but it was hard work and the thought of double digging seems a lot of trouble to go to if it's not as good as your no-dig strategy. Great site this! Well done. It's lovely. hi matron, quick question because I am just starting out. If you don’t dig and you pile compost on top all the time, don’t the beds end up really high? I can imagine my veg rolling out of bed ….because the little one said!…you know? I took on a plot in Barnet, n. london last autumn and dug most of it in time for some frost but it was hard work and the thought of double digging seems a lot of trouble to go to if it’s not as good as your no-dig strategy.

Great site this! Well done. It’s lovely.

]]> By: ObeseVegan http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-10888 ObeseVegan Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:07:29 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-10888 I would recommend, no-dig gardening to everyone. Have a wiki on permaculture and check out no-dig. Its what the guys on "it's Not easy being green" programme used. Check out http://www.safecom.org.au/permaculture.htm That's a good starting point :) On another note, I would love to see your blog in book form one day... it is an invaluable journal of knowledge for newbies like me! I would recommend, no-dig gardening to everyone. Have a wiki on permaculture and check out no-dig. Its what the guys on “it’s Not easy being green” programme used.

Check out http://www.safecom.org.au/permaculture.htm

That’s a good starting point :)

On another note, I would love to see your blog in book form one day… it is an invaluable journal of knowledge for newbies like me!

]]> By: mtp http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/planning/bastard-trenching/#comment-10875 mtp Sun, 11 Feb 2007 09:40:19 +0000 http://www.mytinyplot.co.uk/?p=158#comment-10875 Hi Matron, That sounds great - how does that work out for you? Any downsides? Hi Matron, That sounds great - how does that work out for you? Any downsides?

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