On Sat, 04 Jan 2003 15:58:05 +0000, Paul Taylor
wrote:

I am considering putting my kitchen waste (peelings + eggshells) into a
trench where I am going to grow peas this year (garden and mange tout). I
haven't done this before so a few questions:

How successful is this method of composting - will it be nicely composted
for the crop that I put in the year after (which won't be peas as I
rotate crops).

How good is it for the peas?

How exactly should the trench be done - I guess it would be about 12
inches deep and then say three inches of soil on top of that where I sow
the seeds?

Can the same method be successfuly used for other veg? In particular
(because I also plan to grow these this year too), marrow, courgette,
squash and cucumber.


It's a technique I use for my peas and beans - though for cucurbits
I've had better results using mature compost heavily incorporated
through the entire soil depth ( though one year I grew my courgettes
on a mound infilled with 'scrattlings' .... a local word for the manky
arse-bits left over from sheep shearing. Boy did they grow - and the
soil that was left behind afterwards was beautifully friable ).

I tend to double-dig for trench composting - incorporating the raw
waste into the second spit and infilling with the first ( which also
keeps the topsoil on the top! ). Gives me at least 5 or 6 inches of
soil before the roots hit the compost.
Forking over the bottom of the trench before filling will help to
increase soil depth and provide better drainage in heavy soils.

I find it's best to dig the trenches widthways... about two feet wide.
Save up the waste in a bin until there's enough to fill a trench.
Earth from the next trench is used to fill the existing one.
Dig the first trench and place the lifted soil in a barrow and heft it
to the end up the proposed trench. When you get around to infilling
the last trench you'll have a pile of soil right there.

If you can find the odd dollop of fresh horse dung lying around, chuck
in the trench before infilling.... it'll help to 'get things going'.

By the time you come around to next year's crops you'll hardly see any
evidence of the raw compost...save for the odd eggshell ( break them
up first..they don't rot down that well but will add to the soil
structure ).
It's an excellent technique for follow-on crops that require an
undisturbed soil.

I usually grow Alderman peas on my trenches - this variety hits six
feet plus in height, so there's a lot of leaf to feed. I get excellent
results ( and peas! ).

You may find the ground a little rough for pea seeds - in which case
try sowing the seeds in lengths of soil filled guttering. Come
planting out time all you have to do is slide the shoots out into a
rough channel dug into the soil. Works a treat, and prevents mice etc.
from poaching the seeds.

A note of caution - if you don't ensure any raw potato waste is well
chopped you may suffer from the odd rogue spud trying to grow up
through your peas. It's enough to pick the shoots out, but it can
become a chore if too many peelings start to sprout.
You can sometimes find the odd tomato plant popping up too - I've
occasionally had excellent cherry toms from these!

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk