What is Trench or Mound Gardening?

Trench or mound gardening is an old-fashioned yet popular gardening technique that involves creating mounds of soil in order to plant vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The idea behind this method of gardening is to create a deep area of soil that can better absorb water, air, and nutrients which will benefit your plants and vegetables.

When it comes to preparing the garden bed for trench or mound gardening, you'll need to first remove any weeds or existing vegetation from the area. You'll then want to prepare the soil by adding compost, manure, and other amendments such as sand and lime. The amendments help make the soil more conducive for plant growth by providing essential nutrients and improving its texture. Once all the amendments are added, use a spade to dig deep trenches around 8 inches deep in each of your rows. When creating your trenches, you should stagger them so that each row has its own trench.

Next, create a series of mounds within each row using the same material you used for the trenches. These mounds will be planted with seeds or small transplants of plants or vegetables depending on what type of garden you’re wanting to create. Mound gardens can also include companion planting if desired as certain plants benefit from being grown close together such as carrots and onions or tomatoes and basil. This helps with pest control and maximizes your space in smaller gardens while still achieving a full bounty of produce. 

Finally, be sure to keep the area watered regularly until everything is well established in order for them to reach their full potential. Additionally, remember that trench or mound gardens require maintenance throughout the season including weeding, watering and fertilizing when necessary in order for them to thrive!