Trench composting is a fantastic way to give your veg patch a boost while cutting down on the kitchen waste in your bin. It is great for any crop that is particularly thirsty like legumes, courgettes, cucumbers, squashes and peppers.
Follow the six simple steps below:
- Decide where you will grow your beans next growing season
- Dig a trench around 40 - 70 cm deep in late autumn or winter
- Start filling your trench with kitchen waste like cabbage leaves, onion skins, carrot peelings, apple cores, coffee grounds and teabags (if they are plastic free)
- Add a thin layer of soil on top of each layer of kitchen waste
- When your trench is full top it with the remaining soil you dug out and leave it to rot down. It will keep plenty of moisture in the soil while it rots which is just what thirsty veg likes.
- In May/June plant your beans on top of the trench and watch them thrive as their roots work their way into the moisture and nutrient rich soil below
Trench composting can also be used to get nutrients into the soil in areas of the veg patch that aren't performing well and may be nutrient deprived. Bear in mind that trench composting isn't suitable for waterlogged soil