[TheSpartacat]

Hi,

As I'm still painstakingly digging out the tenacious root system of brambles that still has two thirds of my plot in its grips, i'm trying to be realistic about how much i can clear between now and the rush to plant things out.... and I had an idea.... was wondering if anyone can think of holes in my plan that i should think of?

If I cover the bottom third neatly with black plastic... (its covered now, but i was thinking of making the plastic a bit more tight and weighted more at the ends) but FIRST.... dig and clear 2 foot "Square holes" in that section, fill the holes with compost/manure and then cover with nicely root free soil. (to make mounds).... and THEN cover with the black plastic.... and punch through some holes in the plastic at each of the mounds, to plant some pumpkins and squash....!!!

Would that work? The theory being that the black plastic will suppress the weeds and brambles down that end, keep the soil warm AND help me use "all the plot" productively this year whilst still clearing it?

Wondering if it would it be a nightmare to water or... presumably.... the water will run off the plastic into the holes?? wishful thinking? mad idea? good idea? anyone done similar?

[peapod]

Lots of people plant under plastic, I haven't myself, but would have certainly tried it.
The great thing about it (as you know) is that it will cut the light out and knock back those weeds. 
Watering? Well there will be less evaporation so the soil will stay moist under the plastic, and you could always water through upturned plastic bottles placed right next to the pumpkins.

Spuds are sometimes planted the same way...

[paintedlady]

I routinely plant squashes through black plastic (I've got serious marestail among other weeds) and it's been fine, if not better - the black plastic absorbs heat as the sun shines which warms the soil ... at night when temperatures drop, the heat is slowly released.  I tend to cover the whole bed with cardboard sheeting, with the plastic sheeting over the top ... not sure why, perhaps I was thinking "mulch"?

With regards to watering, give the planting hole a thorough drenching - the plastic will keep most moisture in the soil.  Only when conditions are very warm & dry have I ever had to water - when it rains heavily, the soil beneath the plastic still gets moist.  But then my plot is at the bottom of the hill so there's a bit of a drainage which has its advantages & disadvantages when we have a very wet summer ...

[bigben]

I ran out of time last year to dig my squash/pumpkin patch on my new allotment so I covered it with black weed fabric, cut crosses and just dug out a hole every meter or so. I then chucked in some chicken manure pellets into the holes dug them in as best I could topped up with multipurpose compost and planted the little squash plants. I also sank a plastic bottle with the bottom removed to allow me to water so the water got to the roots. These bottles were held in place with a short cane which allowed me to find them once the plants started to really spread. It was my first time growing squash and I plan on doing the same again this year with the same fabric placed on the last bit of my allotment to be cleared.

[savbo]

this is what I also did on an undug section of the plot. I put 1' canes in the planting pits sticking out about 6" so when the fabric went over I could see exactly where to make the planting holes... great crop

[TheSpartacat]

Oh thank you all for replying. You've no idea how excited I am that you've tried it and its worked!!
I am so so keen to get as much of the plot up and running asap and grow as many varieties of veg as possible!

Great to know that the water stays in the soil under the plastic too (hadnt thought of that)
Might also cover with a mulch of newspaper or cardboard- just to stop any extra vigorous brambles that might try to poke through the plastic, though they were pretty well behaved under the plastic on the first sections that were waiting to clear in the height of summer.... and theyve been under that mulch since August or so, so hopefully getting weaker....

Atlantic Giants here i come

[fatbelly]

I am going to plant my squashes under black plastic that is currently on my plot to keep the weeds down.

Also you could peel the sheeting back before you plant and scatter some slug pellets to kill any slugs that migrate to under the plastic. The plastic will prevent the birds eating the pellets so it will be safe. You can see the plastic I am going to use in situ from this photo I took on Sunday