[Sunday Gardener]

Hello
I was wondering, about 4am  this morning, whether all garden tips are worth it or not. This time of year there is advise to dig out bean trenches, adding shredded paper and kitchen waste. Is it worth the bother ? What do you think? I am unsure so this year I am going to try both; one tench and one straight planting and compare results.

For all sorts of reasons; it will be fun, a tip is only a tip if it's really good and there's never enough time in the garden so I would like to know if this is time well spent or not.

I'll report back but in meantime interested to hear gardening views.

[mumofstig]

If it's a dry year then I think the trench helps by holding on to moisture. In a wet year, or if you garden in a damp place, I wouldn't think it would make much difference.

I garden on sandy soil, so it is something I do

[Yorkie]

Yes, it is generally considered worthwhile.  Beans are hungry and thirsty plants so the trench helps with both of these.

I haven't done it as I haven't quite got my head round it (nor the willpower to do it) but others here vouch for them.

[Totty]

Adding things to the soil that will break down and add structure and nutrients to your soil, will help all veg. Beans happen to be fast, thirsty, gross feeders. You cant add enough. The "trial" has been tested for a few years now by my grandfather, and his neighbour. Obviously both have the same soil, but my grandad has always grown beans in the same spot and has always dug a trench. Needless to say he always has a much better result come harvest time.
 I copy this way of thinking but do things slightly differently. In Autumn, when the beans are finished, i will cut the beans down, dig up the roots and throw them onto the ground were the brassicas are to grow, dig a deep trench and put all of the spent bean plants into them, along with some fresh horse manue. Cover lightly with soil and leave for a few months. In the depths of winter i add some rotting grass clippings and rotting chicken manure. Each to there own, but i wouldnt go to the trouble if the results didnt speak for themselves.

Totty

[Ma and Pa Snip]

We're not so fussed about the paper element, preferring to use spent straw that has been used for other things along with well broken down compost off the heap and a good helping of horses d'oeuvres.

We have tried both methods, trench and no trench. Depends on where we intend planting the beans each year.

This year we shall trench.

[Sunday Gardener]

thanks for the bean trench responses very interesting will see what the season brings.

[petersson]

Am a newcommer to growing my own veg, just having gotten an allotment early last year. Being a newbie we didn't bother with a trench, but i did take the trouble to water in dryish weather. We had a great yield, however this year it will be a trench, already filled in with rotting leaves, newspaper and till receipts... plus a bit of garden waste, manure and compost for good measure....

It will be interesting to see if there is a difference...
We are also going to try them in the same spot for a few years at least - our fellow allotment holders seem split on whether to rotate or not!!!

[savbo]

I'm wondering whether it was a bad idea to put potato peelings in my trench..ah well, guess I can just hoe off any spuds that grow...

[Nikkithefoot]

This will be my first year digging a trench and filling it. Last years crop was particularly poor for me, mainly because I couldn't water often enough. This year I'm not going to water any more than I did last year to get a better comparison. The only variable will be the amount of rain that mother nature cares to chuck at us.

[VictoriaH]

I did as much in as possible all year around. Our compost bays (7) are always too full so there is little choice. We are on sand, that sandy that our hands make easy trowels, so anything that adds nutrients is good for us.
Beans, peas and gourds love waste trenches.

[Trillium]

You're wise to compost so much, Victoria. I have friends who garden on almost pure sand and they say it eats up the compost yearly. they can never make enough compost. In the end they solved the problem by moving. 

[suziet88]

I'm so excited!....... managed to persuade my 16 year old son to dig a trench in my 'munty' ready for the forthcoming bean season.  Lined it with cardboard/newspaper and filled with rotting veg.  Can't wait to see the results.

[digalotty]

im planning to trench this year as im moving my beans to an area that drains quickly and this is the best way to retain moisture

[Ivor Backache]

There are two main reasons why I always trench. I close my compost heap . turn it and let stand over the winter months. I then open my bean trench, line it with an 1" of newspaper and fill with kitchen waste etc. At the moment I am half way across the allotment width. The trench is a sort of compost heap. The second reason is moisture containment.  Newspaper at the bottom of the trench does not rot away and becomes an excellent moisture ' reservoir'.
I do believe that this year we will have a drought. Nature has a way of balancing and after one of the coldest winters on record.......well I let you finish the sentence.

[TheSpartacat]

Can you make trenches for tall varieties of peas? Or would they appreciate it?