[Diggin]

Hi, I've just got an allotment and its nearly prepared for veggies. I have some great courgette and pumpkin seedlings growing, but I can't find what I need to put on their bed to prepare the soil - can anyone tell me what soil do they like?
Thanks in advance

[DD.]

One's with lots of well rotted manure!

[Beetroot queen]

Not sure on soil but they like manure, some people grow courgettes in the top of their black compost bins. We are going to have a go at this, this year because hubby is insistant he wants to grow on all 28 plants 

I have three black bins so that's three down

[Diggin]

Okaaay...well I don't have any rotted manure so will all purpose compost do then? I thought I'd grown a lot beetroot queen, I've got 6 green and 6 yellow courgette plants, and have since read that 2 is enough for a family. Erm, courgette bread all round then!

[gavinjconway]

I suggest you read up from Johns advice info pages on the main site at the top of the page tabs. He has great articles and advice - also some good cheap books. When i got my plot just before last season I spent hours reading up all sorts of advice on the site and it helped me loads. 

[Beetroot queen]

Okaaay...well I don't have any rotted manure so will all purpose compost do then? I thought I'd grown a lot beetroot queen, I've got 6 green and 6 yellow courgette plants, and have since read that 2 is enough for a family. Erm, courgette bread all round then!

He'll change his mind when I set him to work finding 28 new homes and he can keep his eyes off my sweetcorn beds.  :blink:

[DD.]

Okaaay...well I don't have any rotted manure so will all purpose compost do then? I thought I'd grown a lot beetroot queen, I've got 6 green and 6 yellow courgette plants, and have since read that 2 is enough for a family. Erm, courgette bread all round then!

Don't confuse compost with fertiliser/manure.

Multipurpose compost will not have the level of nutrients that these plants require.

[compostqueen]

It will be too fine and your heavy plants will keel over. They like good old fashioned soil with muck in it. You can buy muck anywhere!  It's for sale everywhere by the side of the road. There's bound to be stables near you that will probably let you have it for nothing 

[mumofstig]

Okaaay...well I don't have any rotted manure so will all purpose compost do then?

If you have to buy the compost you could buy a bag of farmyard manure - they should have it in the garden centre 
http://www.creativegardenideas.co.uk/organic-blend-farmyard-manure-50ltr

[shokkyy]

I tried some squash and courgette plants on the top of my compost bins last year, but they were eaten alive by wood lice. They completely chewed through the stem of one plant. Won't do that again

[compostqueen]

I noticed in my dalek bin, when I was up close and getting out all the cooked stuff from the base, that the wood lice occupied the cooked stuff in the bottom whereas the worms presided over the top fresh unrotted stuff.  So,if you cleared out the cooked stuff and then filled up your bin with  manure you'd be fine. My pal used to fill the lot up with manure then climb in and tread it down     I would but I daren't as I'm such a short a*se I'd not be able to get back out 

[allotmentann]

I didn't have any manure last year, I planted my courgettes in holes full with garden compost and a handful of chicken manure  pellets, they went crazy and I had to keep giving them away to all the neighbours, so it doesn't have to be manure.

[Kirpi]

I garden veganically - without any animal waste, so no manure. My squashes will be sitting on two foot high cushions of well rotted straw, lawn mowings, homegrown compost and leafmould.

By the time the squashes have finished devouring this, the bed will be lower again and all broken down ready for peas and beans next year, and so on.

Squashes and the like don't need animal manure (though they do like it), but they do like a good stout nutrient and moisture rich medium.

Don't forget to sink large plant pots or upturned drink bottles with the bottoms cut off to serve as deep watering vessels - they like their drink! Nettle tea when growing and comfrey tea when they are in flower.