Each fall I collect as manyfallen leavesas possible . I scan them off our lawn , nab garbage bag of leaves from trash piles , and ask the guys who blow the leave up off the neighbour ’s lawn to dump them on our side of the fence . Why ? Because a few years ago , when I was trying to figure out how to arise crush without have to establish up mounds of soil , I let on the repose of growing squash racquets in squash hoop .
What Are Squash Rings?
Squash rings are raise rings of 12 - in - tall volaille wire filled with disintegrate leafage . Each halo is about 3 to 4 human foot in diam , though you could make them much larger if you have the room . I have about six rings in my garden , and each fall I place the ring in a Modern place the garden and meet them with all those pull together gloaming foliage . I fill them all the way to the top , and then I toss a few spadeful full of garden ground on top of the leaves to hold back them from blowing aside .
By the time natural spring arrives , the leaves have begun to break down , so I top the rings off with a minuscule compost and utilise a pitchfork to mix it all together before planting .
Using Squash Rings
After mixing the compost into my filled squash rackets rings , it ’s sentence to plant my squash . I mature primarily winter squash vine varieties , likebutternut , acorn and delicata , in my squash rackets ring , but you could also use them to grow pumpkins , gourds or even melons . Any vine crops would work .
I institute three to five source per squash band , push each seed down into the decomposing leaves with my thumb and spacing them about 6 to 8 inches asunder . If your squash rings are larger , you’re able to sure as shooting plant more seeds per ring .
As long as your compost is weed - free , your squash vine rings will be , too , so there ’s rarely a need to mulch or weed squash plant when they ’re grown in squash rings . The decomposition leaves retain a mint of moisture , too , and the squash vine root readily grow down through them and into the territory below , lessen summer watering chores .
In between the ring , I always mulch with a few in of shredded leaves or straw . The vine will tumble over the edges of the squash racquets rings , and this mulch keep the fruits unobjectionable and helps cut down on weeding chores . you may also plant fast - maturing spring crop , like dinero andradish , in between the rings . By the clock time the squash plants really get going , these early crop will have been glean . It ’s a great way to arise several harvest in the same area to maximize output .
End-Of-Season Maintenance
When fall arrives and the last of the squash racquets have been harvest , just hook the wire rings and spread the now fully decomposed leaves around the garden . Move the ring to next year ’s planting site and start filling them with leaves for next year ’s squash vine crop .
