[nepalnt21]

our last squash crop was highly afflicted with some sort of fungus, so we are going to dig it up and start anew. we got some straw now to mulch the soil with.

would now be a good time to sow the seeds for butternut and crooked neck?

we are in usda zone 6.

[Sheriff Bart]

depends how many days are left in your season
you might pull it off with some varieties

[dubwise]

go to the farmers almanac website and look up the planting dates for various things in your zone. I'm in zone 8 and i did not see squash as something i could start again this late in the year.

[HOODOOBLUESMAN]

i have noticed--
that in some online seed catalogs--
they have summer and winter variety's of squash-------

im in zone 6 also---

my straight yellows produce from july thru october....
i grow in 5 gallon buckets,
and use tomatoe cages to keep off ground...

[Mr. Greengenes]

We have long enough season to grow winter squash later in the summer/fall, but the PM gets real bad 'round that time.

[DocLeaf]

Straw taxes (takes) nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes! Do NOT USE it!

Pumpkins and squashes are greedy feeders,, they like horse manure,, added to the beds the autumn before cultivation... otherwise legume crops (peas and beans) grow in harmony with squashes/pumpkins,,, by fixing available nitrates directly into the soil.

Hope this helps

[Sheriff Bart]

nitrogen fixing plants only fix nitrogen when they lack it
otherwise they will not fix nitrogen, or it will be very minimal

[ourcee]

I've got some scalloped squash goin right now. So Cal

[DocLeaf]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Bart

nitrogen fixing plants only fix nitrogen when they lack it
otherwise they will not fix nitrogen, or it will be very minimal

Sure if the soil already has lots of available nitrogen. Otherwise...

Fixation of nitrogen in the soil

Legume plants are notable for their ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, thanks to a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria known as rhizobia found in root nodules of these plants. The ability to form this symbiosis reduces fertilizer costs for farmers and gardeners who grow legumes, and allows legumes to be used in a crop rotation to replenish soil that has been depleted of nitrogen. The nitrogen fixation ability of legumes is enhanced by the availability of calcium in the soil and reduced by the presence of ample nitrogen.

Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legume#...en_in_the_soil

Hope this helps

[maryjohn]

Originally Posted by DocLeaf

Straw taxes (takes) nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes! Do NOT USE it!

Pumpkins and squashes are greedy feeders,, they like horse manure,, added to the beds the autumn before cultivation... otherwise legume crops (peas and beans) grow in harmony with squashes/pumpkins,,, by fixing available nitrates directly into the soil.

Hope this helps

Hey doc, I keep a thick layer of straw over everything, even corm beans and squash grown together. Many others do. It is sprayed with em. Easy as pie check out lasagna gardening. I sow my seeds right in the layer of compost and replenish straw as needed with fresh winter rye or more straw and hay.

The nitrogen robbing is not an issue, but you need to prepare the bed earlier or use a thick layer of compost. So newspaper, compost, garden litter, then mulch. Also the legumes don't help until the next cycle when they break down, but you do get food out of it. Also gives spiders a better place to hide on a corn stalk.

As for squashes in zone 6, save your seeds for next year it is done now. Winter squashes have the same season as summer squashes. You just eat them 2-5 months after harvest. This year was crazy. I started some kabocha waaay early inside, and they are the only ones that produced a good amount. Cucumber beetles, squash beetles, and squash bugs all converged on my neighborhood at the same time. They took them out in about 2 weeks, all over my neighborhood. Nobody beat them. Acorn squashes showed some resistance.

Next year I will use some sort of silicon supplement to take advantage of purported resistance to pests imparted