[lacewing]

Do squash need to put down roots as they trail along, or could I plant them and let them trail over weed controle fabric? The growing site has been well manured last autumn and has had a dressing of blood, fish and bone.

[mumofstig]

They do occasionally root, but they don't have to............mine often trail onto the paving with no problem .......except when I trip over them 

[lacewing]

Thanks!  I'll give it a try and perhaps liquid feed as well.

[bigben]

That is my plan this year - I have "cleared" 2/3 of a badly overgrown plot, and hope to use weed fabric with holes cut to allow me to grow squash. It is on an area I will not be able to clear before they are due to be planted out. The bed has had stuff hacked down to ground level but not been dug. I plan to lay the fabric, mark where the the holes are, lift the fabric and dig out a spade full at each hole adding some manure before re-laying the fabric and planting.  Never having grown squash before, I hope I will get a crop from an otherwise uncleared area. It is 4 by 5 meters and I still have another bed to dig so will not have time to do the job right.

[8doubles]

The squash plants will probably enjoy the heat from the weed control fabric , they like patios and paths.

[Janeymiddlewife]

Do squash need to put down roots as they trail along, or could I plant them and let them trail over weed controle fabric? The growing site has been well manured last autumn and has had a dressing of blood, fish and bone.

Worked for me last year - planted trailing cues the same way too and courgettes! I'll be doing the same on the last of the plot I've yet to dig, trailing over pallets, just have to watch they don't try & grow between the bits of wood and get wedged.

[lacewing]

My weed fabric has been down since the autumn, with a thick layer of horse manure underneath. My intention was to rest, or leave fallow that area of ground for this season. But then thought it might be an idea to plant squash and other trailing plants along the edge of the fabric, and  persuade the plants to trail over the covered area. The ground would still be left to rest, but put to use at the same time, if you see what I mean!

[chimaera]

I did that last year; plant them on the edge of a bed and get them to trail over the fabric. A way of growing large plants with only digging a very small extra area. I think the fabric also keeps the heat in, and retains moisture underneath, as they seemed to need less watering.

Charlie

[Zippy]

Not having a go - but I don't understand this concept of letting ground "rest". What happens while the soil is resting exactly.

Gardening is about putting in a little more than we take out so the heart of the earth is maintained, and - for me - not digging unless it is essential so that the soil structure is maintained.

Perhaps this is why people who dig and rotovate have to leave ground fallow occasionally so the soil structure and earthworms and minibeasts recover their populations, but if you don't dig there shouldnt be any need to rest the soil as it's structure is not being constantly eroded and interrupted.

I would put those squashes in and let them ramble. Presumably you will follow up next year with Beans and Peas which like a firm rich soil in which case I wouldn't dig it; just plant your Peas and Beans in their stations and let them feed the soil without disrupting the soils structure built up from the previous year.

[compostqueen]

I encourage my squashes to romp over the black sheet mulch, hides it and makes the plot look lovely (as opposed to ugly swathes of black plastic  )  It does get hold of the mulch though and attach itself

[lacewing]

This is just my way of doing things. I like to leave an area of ground fallow for a season to give the soil a rest from constant replanting. As I said earlier I put down a thick layer of horse manure and let the worms take it in. The soil here in Kent is sandy and I feel that digging would do more harm than good. I see some people churning the soil up by rotovating and most of the topsoil is flying out over the fence. If we were on clay, then that would be a different matter!