Crazy about Cucurbits (Summer Squashes, Winter Squashes, Pumpkins, and Melons)

[maikeru]

I've been preparing the garden again for its 2nd growing season, and I have some questions for those who have grown melons, squashes, pumpkins, etc. before. I've heard somewhere that squashes need to be separated from each other otherwise they'll cross and produce strange fruit. Let's assume that I'm not planning to save the seeds from this growing season. I have seeds for the following and want to grow them:

 

Zucchini (summer squash)

Pattypan/Scallopini/Button (summer squash)

Yellow crookneck squash (summer)

 

Bittermelon (Asian favorite)

 

Kabocha (Japanese winter squash, sometimes called Japanese pumpkin)

 

Watermelons, honeydew, cantaloupes, etc.

Cucumbers

 

I've been warned these can be plagued by a variety of insect pests and disease and other stuff. Let's hope I'm lucky for a first-time grower.

 

For those who've grown them before or might know, do I need to worry about the varieties of summer squashes crossing with each other and producing strange fruits or will it mainly create hybrid seeds? If so, how far should I space them? Second, can summer and winter squashes cross with each other or will I get funny business? Do I need to worry about birds attacking the fruits? Any other thoughts?

 

I've read that squashes, melons, etc. require lots of water, and with that in mind, I've been heavily amending the garden soil with large amounts of coffee grounds (200 lbs+ so far), decayed leaves and leaf litter (from my maple trees), veggie scraps, and vermicompost to build up the humus and water-holding capacity. This has especially been a problem in the middle of the desert here, where heat and stress can and often does kill plants. I also have a few small makeshift ollas in the garden but probably will upgrade them this year, with the water needs of the squashes and melons in mind. Last year was a terrible fight just to improve soil fertility after trying to save a little money and buy cheaper "topsoil" that wasn't what it was cracked up to be. I lost some of my plants, but this year I have started earlier and done much more, so that the heavy clay has improved, darkened, and loosened up and seems to harbor more soil life. I took some inside and played with it over the winter to see what amendments would improve its fertility, and am applying those ideas more broadly to the rest of the garden.

 

This year I want to do one more unique thing. I'd like to create and gain experience with a "Three Sisters" garden:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_%28agriculture%29

 

I think I will put it toward the back of the garden (running along the fence).

 

In it, I'd like to include an heirloom Native American sweet corn, kabochas as the squash, and I still need to decide on a legume, like sweet peas, snow peas, beans, soybeans, or something. I've seen references to the Native Americans using pole beans. Any recommendations? Probably will plant in a zigzag pattern of small mounds to maximize planting space along the fence, which follows along east-west, unless you guys can recommend something else. There are photos of my garden from last year, but the differences this year are that I have raised the soil height several inches to a foot in some areas through soil amendments so it has attained more of the gradual slope I desired.

 

Garden soil now contains earthworms living in it as well, both red worms and European nightcrawlers. Want to plant white clover again as a cover crop/nitrogen-fixer for other plants in the area and to provide cover for the earthworms. (Should I worry about the clover competing with the squashes? Or will it complement them nicely?) I've already seen birds at work and taking a few worms here and there, which doesn't make me happy. Need to save my little tillers.