[vineweevil1]

I was wondering whether to try it this year, just dig a big hole, fill with manure, cover and then plant in squashes / pumpkins, but something is bobbing about in my memory about squashes sending out other roots along their stems to help with feeding etc?

Anyone advise?

[mumofstig]

Some of them do root along the stem but they can be grown succesfully with plastic.
One of my plot neighbours years ago had terrific crops on the half of his allotment he hadn't dug yet! He covered it in black plastic and just planted through slits.

But you have to water as if they are in pots cos no rain gets to the roots through the plastic. If you use weed supressant fabric the water does get through tho

[yummy]

We did this last year with our pumpkins. We used the weed fabric. It worked fine and we have several big pumpkins.

[diggerjoe]

I grew them on the rubbish mounds last year - it was rough dug and I mean just clumps of couch filled soil which I covered with a layer of straw and manure ( I could only get fresh but it worked) covered the mounds with double thickness weed fabric  and planted through a slit in fabric this year the mounds are ready to be dug in and ground used for spuds. The pumkins this year will be on top of a rubbish pile of couch and other weeds in a builders bag with a layer of straw and manure and plant through that. They are brilliant for covering areas of the plot that are waiting to be sorted - means the plot police dont moan about not using the whole plot

[yummy]

Ello Diggerjoe. I'm in Coventry too 

[andreadon]

tried this last year because i was fed up with trying to dig out the ground elder:
it did work, but i got fewer fruits and smaller ones at that.
might just be because the chicken poo couldn't get to the roots as well.

[celjaci]

A few years ago I grew several hundred squash through weed supressant membrane with really good results - cleaned the ground and got a good cropwith very little work.

 I rotavated manure into the soil before laying the membrane then just planted through small crosses, much easier than preparing planting pits. You could also use liquid feed

As well as killing the weeds underneath, the membrane also conserves moisture and provides a clean surface for the fruits to sit on

[paintedlady]

I was very pleased with my black plastic lined squash bed last year.  No digging involved (I was running out of time) other than holes to plant through.  Butternut, pumpkin & Crown Prince.  This year I'm using the same bed but making new holes and doing the same 

[upert]

why more new plotholders don't plant through weed suppressant i don't know.

[compostqueen]

I got a really long length of it complete with holes already cut  From a strawberry grower. I've had it for about five years and still use it for spuds etc.  I did pumpkins and squashes through it last year but I made a poo filled hole to plant them in, no digging other than that. Got a fine crop  The large sprawling plants soon cover up the black sheet mulch

[mike007]

Hi I have an easy question for everyone regarding fabrics and mulches and squash, I germinated some squash and pumpkin indoors and was going to plant them in hills covered in fabric. Unfortunately the pumpkin plants keeled over (I did germinate them in eco top soil not Innes #1 so I'm guessing this is the cause).

Anyway back to the point I'd still like the pumpkins, can I just plant the seeds through slits in the sheet? Will I need to make a big slit so the light gets through? Can I put mulch (eco bark stuff) over the fabric and still expect the seed to germinate and grow?

Can I do the same with carrots and other veg or do I need to start with a young plant if growing through fabric?

The reason for doing all this is that we have a very small patch of garden that suffers terribly with weeds, especially bind weed and ferns.

[diggerjoe]

HI Yummy - fellow Cov kid

Really love that contained area for pumkins Paintedlady stops them taking over and in my case annoying neighbour.

[jolly jen]

i havre a pile of dirt and weeds i have dug out at the end of my plot,,just waiting to rot down ,,,,so if i stick a couple of pumpkin seeds in ther there will grow then??/

i might cover over the pile with black plastic first so this will help the weeds rot down quick ,and hide them,,,,thanks for the tips....

[vineweevil1]

Thanks all for the replies, I am sold.  This was our brassica area and we got lazy with weeding last year. The thought of just covering it all up brings a smile to my face!!!

On the subject of planting direct between in the fabric I would imagine that the slit has to be big enough for the seeds to see daylight and they will pop through.  I haven't even started off my pumpkins / squashes yet, maybe a job for the weekend

[Lady Lottie]

I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO pleased I saw this thread!  I have half a plot that needs weeding and diggin over after 10 years disuse - I am waiting for the council to deliver a load of black plastic to cover it over - had no idea I could wollop pumpkin seeds straight through it though - and I have been dying to grow pumpkins - so thank you!

Admittedly just skimmed thread...todderl shouting...lol...should I water area and throw some chicken poo pellets around before I put the polythene down then?