Digging ditches round plots

[Digeroo]

A number of people on our site seem to dig deep ditches all round their plots and sometimes round their beds.  Please could someone explain why they do this.

I suspect that it is to help with drainage.  So where the soil is damp then ditches round will improve the situation for the vegetables.

Problems is that we do not have that kind of drainage problem in fact we have the opposite and the soil tends to be very very dry. The ditches take the moisture out of the soil, so it is impossible to grow up to the edge of your plot if your neighbour digs a deep hole.  Added to that your soil falls into their hole.   

They do not seem to know why they are doing it.

[Digeroo]

[goodlife]

Lot of people seem to be doing lot of stuff and just because everybody else does so.. propably thinking they need to do it so too..
At least you know what needs (or not)to be done ... They learn...eventually..
Have you actually asked why they doing that digging?

[artichoke]

Is it to stop couch grass etc from growing into their beds from grassy paths?

[Digeroo]

I do think it does make a deep edge next to the path which is fine because the grass roots seem to keep the whole thing together and the mower does a neat job.

I did have a grass strip along the side of my allotment I rather regret now removing it, but people were constantly walking across it, and damaging things on the way past.