covering bare ground between squashes with phecelia/borage?

[dawndaisy]

Hello everyone,
Ive had a search, but cant find any referrences to using these plants to reduce weeds on my squash patch. I grow on heavy clay, so hope they would help the soil structure too, and especially interested on the benefits to bees etc...

I garden without chemicals, and avoid digging, so would chop them up at the end of the season and leave them on the soil over winter, to act as a mulch. I know they would self seed, but I can cope with this. Most of my allotment is intensively grown beds, no weeds, very organised, but I want this 10' x 10' area to be a bit more relaxed, and wildlife friendly.

Any other suggestions of what I could sow between my squashes, as previously there has been alot of bare soil until they get going.

Ive been very interested in some of Two sheds Ideas.

Dawndaisy.

[Snadger]

Look up the three little sisters.......................

[Shadylane]

Limnanthes (poached egg plant) is a good ground cover as it's low growing and will self seed. I love phacelia and grow it all over but it's a lot taller. I find with squash and courgettes that they provide their own cover very quickly and don't get many weeds under them.

[Madasafish]

I grow phacelia, and borage like that - and opium poppies - and poached egg plants..

Weeding is fun.

But then I keep bees as well. They love it.

[dawndaisy]

Limanthes was another idea I considered, but I like the idea of the taller borage and phecelia obove the squash plants. I know the buzzies would love limanthes too. Im realising that I want to do this more for the visual and bee effect more than anything.
Would I be ok chopping the limanthes at the end of the season and leaving it there as winter mulch?

Snadger, I have used 3 sisters in the past and think it would work here. I have a lot of corn and beans planned for elsewhere on the plot, so will probably stick to non edibles between the squash. Ive grown bush tomatoes sucessfully between corn plants, and wonder how it would work if I did a loose 3 sisters/ tomatoe/cucumber combination with some bee friendly flowers where they can find space. I love the idea of a jungle of edibles, but think harvesting would be difficult. Its lovely to have the space to 'play this year. I only got the allotment last year, and had to make every inch of ground work hard in my garden before that.

Heavy SNOW here thismorning so enjoying a planning session rather than actually gardening.
Dawndaisy

[Shadylane]

Would I be ok chopping the limanthes at the end of the season and leaving it there as winter mulch?

You could do or you could leave them to self seed. I find the self seeded ones are up by autmun which themselves provide a good mulch. They're well hardy too so should survive the winter. Well mine do and our plot is chilly.

[Two_Sheds]

Limanthes was another idea I considered, but I like the idea of the taller borage and phecelia obove the squash plants.

Phacelia is much loved by bees, but to do the best for the soil it needs to be cut before it flowers (when the most goodness is in the foliage). Allow some to flower for the bees, of course, and to save seed if you want to do that.

I let mine self-seed all over the plot, and just weed it out as necessary when I want to plant a crop. Borage, imo, is a bit of a nuisance: I find the leaves prickly & irritating, and it's that bit harder to weed out.

Limnanthes are a bit hardier than phacelia, and lasts longer over the autumn months, and flowers earlier, so providing a longer feeding period for the buzzies. Use them together, perfect.

I also love alfalfa, which I have in "leys" which I understand to be semi-permanent strips ~ I cut it as a mulch several times in a year, for about 3 years. It's deeper rooting than phacelia or limnanthes

[Two_Sheds]

Having said all that ^

there's no such thing as spare ground around squash plants! They take over!

[Plot10]

I grew borage in between my courgettes last year. The borage grew much bigger than I expected and shaded out the courgettes and also the stems are very prickly, making it quite hazardous to pick the courgettes without gloves.

[dawndaisy]

That
settles it, deffinitely no borage. I grow it in the back garden, but dont have to walk through it there.
I'll be off to the garden shop to sort out some limanthes and phecelia seed over the weekend. I'll have to only take a few pounds or else I'll come home with half the shop. Ive worked out that if I walk rather than drive, I dont make so many spontaneous purchases.

[zazen999]

I wouldn't for a different reason - and that's that the Borage family send their roots deep and take the nutrients and store them in the leaves - but for squashes they need all the nutrients they can get so taking any out of the soil underneath them IMHO is not wise.

[snakeshack]

i use phacelia round squashes for weed suppression and as an end of season green manure with no problems and the bees love it