Where to plant my pumpkins and marrows

[tumbling tom]

Hi everyone.

This year as I got a bit more land to play with I decided to grow some trailing marrows and pumpkins.

Alls well with them and they are currently growing nicely in pots in the gh although they will need to be put out soon.

Now looking online I have seen that these things really do take up a lot of space once they trail and I am starting to think is it worth the lost space?

So I was wondering, what can I plant in amongst the trailing vine if for example I put a plant on the edge of a 2 metre long bed can I then plant "taller" things on that bed and let the marrow trail through the bottom of the plants?

[veggiechicken]

You can let them trail around beans and sweetcorn!

[SarzWix]

Yes, they work well as a 'ground cover' plant between taller things, although you have to think about feed and water before you plant them. Pumpkins especially are quite greedy, but if you prepare first it shouldn't impact the other plants too much. First thing, decide where each plant is going and dig out a hole. In the bottom of the hole put some rotted compost/manure/shredded paper/blood-fish-and-bone/chopped comfrey or a combination of. This is to provide food and moisture retention. then put some soil on top of that and 'plant' a 2l bottle with the bottom cut off upside down into the hole to water into. Then plant the plant into the top of the hole. What you should end up with is the plant on a slightly raised mound, with a watering funnel next to it to send the water down to the roots and the food underneath. Push a cane into the ground next to the watering funnel so that you can find it once the plant spreads out. Once you've done that with the number of plants you want in the bed, plant the tall stuff around them - root-balls tend to be smaller on beans/sweetcorn etc so easier to put them in second.

I'm doing the same thing in the polytunnel - butternut squashes growing under and between tomato plants

[Scarlet]

I plant mine in the corner of a bed and "try" to direct it over the path. I just have to wade through it when i'm watering.

[Bren In Pots]

Scarlet, pumpkins and courgettes grow in the opposite direction to the first true seed leaf, have a read at this link:-

GIANT PUMPKIN/WINTER SQUASH-How to Tell Which Direction a Vining Squash Will Grow « giantveggiegardener

[LisaG]

Has anyone tried growing pumpkins and squashes in a spiral (as mentioned by Joy Larkcom in her veg book)? That sounds interesting , if a bit fiddly.

Also I think I remeber someone mentioning pinching the vines once they get to a certain size/no. of fruits?

[horticultural_hobbit]

With the pinching out, you may end up with X number of fruit. I had five babies, when I grew a ghost rider pumpkins. Depending on which ones are pollinated et cetra, it becomes Clear which ones will grow. I had one pumpkin by fluke!

[PyreneesPlot]

Saw somebody (can't remember who or where) who'd grown them on a tunnel over a path between the beds - looked awesome.

[tumbling tom]

Thanks you everyone for your replies, some great suggestions and links

I have decide to let them trail between my runners and climbing french beans. I put the canes for the beans to blimb in a "rectangular" shape instead of triangular so this way more light can get in between the plants for the marrow.

The link for the pumpkin direction of growth was great. Is this the same rule for marrows do you know?

[Nes]

Has anyone tried growing pumpkins and squashes in a spiral (as mentioned by Joy Larkcom in her veg book)? That sounds interesting , if a bit fiddly.

I did try this once, but the plants grew too quickly for me to keep up, as I don't get to the allotment every day, and generally have lots of more pressing jobs to do when I am there!

[Lame Veg]

I'm lucky that I have a small-holding so have a couple of Manure heaps. I plant my pumpkins/squashes/etc into the older heap and let the vines grow up through the hedge. You can do the same in a compost heap. Saves ground space.

[Jono]

Sarz is dead right about the canes. Once the plants are established, it really helps for watering to know exactly where they are.

I do slightly different from the bottle funnel method, by building a little bank around the plant so that it is sitting in a recess. That keeps the water around the plant, especially when the ground gets hard.

[snakeshack]

now plant mine in tyres filled with compost/manure so I cansee where to water,don't think i've ever had one that could be confined to a 2 meter bed though