bastard trenchv.
/ˈbɑːstəd ˌtrɛn(t)ʃ/, /ˈbastəd ˌtrɛn(t)ʃ/, U.S. /ˈbæstərd ˌtrɛn(t)ʃ/ Horticulture.
transitive. To dig (ground) by digging over the lower soil with the topsoil temporarily removed. Cf. double-dig vb. at double adj.1 and adv. Compounds 2e.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > break up land [verb (transitive)] > dig > double-dig
trench-dig1770
bastard trench1838
double-dig1842
1838 Genesee (Rochester, N.Y.) Farmer 8 Dec. 390/1 When the subsoil is poor or strong clay, they bastard trench it, as they call it.
1923 W. Deeping Secret Sanctuary x. 104 Stretton set himself to bastard-trench a quarter of an acre.
1933 Jrnl. Royal Hort. Soc. 58 98 I invariably endeavour to bastard trench all the ground to be occupied by chrysanthemums.
1993 Age (Melbourne) (Nexis) 10 July (Cuttings section) 13 Bastard trench the vegetable garden.
Derivatives
ˈbastard ˌtrenching n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > [noun] > digging > double digging
trench-digging1779
bastard trenching1839
double-digging1842
1839 Magnet 6 May 4/5 Bastard trenching..may be done as above for 6d per rod.
1998 Financial Times 4 July 32/3 Perhaps it is no loss if most of us have forgotten the noble art of bastard trenching.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2019; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
<
v.1838