Trench Composting

I haven’t seen this done much here in America, but in England (where it seems everyone is a skilled gardener), they like to do “Trench Composting”. They dig a shallow trench in an area to be planted later. Then, they throw in compost-friendly kitchen waste such as banana peels, coffee grinds, vegetables scraps, etc. Then they cover it with a few inches of soil and water it. In a few months, they plant vegetables directly over the trench and as the plants send out roots, they find the composted treasure and are nourished with the rich nutrients it left behind.

It sounds good to me..unless you have wildlife or a chocolate lab (who thinks she is "wildlife") that will dig up the treasure and have themselves a feast. I guess you could park a few rocks or other heavy objects over the trench while it works its magic to keep any critters at bay. People who do this method of composting rave about the amount of earthworms drawn to the area and how rich the soil gets in a short amount of time. If any one out there has tried this, let me know how it worked for you.

Comments

[Helen]

i love your nasterium story it make me laugh out loud!!!!

[Beth Ann Daye]

This trench composting sounds like a great idea. Have you tried it since you wrote this post last July?

[Theresa Loe/GardenFreshLiving]

Nope. I haven't tried it yet because I'm worried that my dog will dig it up! I guess I could experiment in a corner with a rock over the area. Maybe I will try that in the spring.

How about you? Are you going to try it? If you do, come back and give us an update!

[Laurie]

I love the idea of trenched compost!

Once the trenched compost was in place, I'd probably cover the are with chicken wire either pinned or weighted down. That should also help keep kitty from using the area as a litter box.

Because moles can be a problem for us, I'd first line the trench with chicken wire before adding my compost ingredients and soil.

[Theresa Loe/GardenFreshLiving]

Great idea Laurie.

The chicken wire should take care of the moles and any other underground critters.