Topic: Sowing Squash and Pumpkin seeds direct into a bed

[George the Pigman]

Well went today to the lotty and found nearly all of the squash and pumpkin plants I planted 9 days ago had died  No evidence of slug damage  All the leaves were dried up and dead . Certainly not lack of water! I know they don't like transplanting so I've always grown them in roottrainers but it's often a bit hit and miss.
Has anyone any experience of sowing them direct into a bed? The textbooks say its the best way to grow them. If so how do you do it?

[Deb P]

To be honest I've never tried sowing squash direct, but I've heard of folk who use hotbeds managing to grow them in cooler conditions. I find they need decent temperatures to germinate and careful hardening off. Mine are currently in pots outside my greenhouse at home, I'm waiting for the night temperatures to be consistently over 10degrees and for the nematodes I applied last week to get going before risking planting out at the allotment.

[George the Pigman]

 Yes Deb P they certainly don't like cold. I planted them out well after the last frost here but then we had a cold spell here and it got down to 4C or 5C at night and only the mid  teens maximum during the day. Basically April in June! The poor little things got too  cold.    I'll have to knit jumpers for them in the future!!

[Tiny Clanger]

Sorry George.  Always sown in pots first. It takes longer for them to settle but I feed them well. Horse manure  the previous autumn, then BF & B late spring and through the growing season.   make a pocket, water well,  dollop of rotted horse manure, then soil, then plant .  water again.  I plant an old 4 litre milk bottle with the bottom cut off upside down beside the plant.  Stick a cane in it ( it gives an idea where the plant base is when the site is covered in runners) I water/liquid feed in this. keep an eye on the plants.  give Epsom salts a couple of times in the season scattered round the base.  Potash/Nitrogen liquid feed.  Water most days, amount depends on how dry its been. I've always found that this gives us a good squash/pumpkin harvest. Some years better than others.

With regard of your plants dying: I've had this occasionally.  Not lost ALL my plants though.  one or two were obviously slugs, but some just seemed to wither away. I've had Brassicas do it - not club root related.  No idea of the cause but suspect something in the soil. Fusaria? Ants even? I HAVE lost all my sunflowers at home this year. Again, one or two to slugs but the rest just withered away - also a few night scented stocks  that I'd grown in a large tub.  Just wilt and collapse

Hope you get some produce.  I'd try just picking your site on prepared ground, plat at usual depth, liquid feed.  I've pot grown courgette and planted out late July with good results. cropping int October.  Our sie is in North Warwicks.  Best of Luck George.x