Gardening Articles: Care :: Seeds & Propagation
Planting Vine Crops (page 2 of 2)
by National Gardening Association Editors
Seeds in Rows
Cucumber -- 6 to 8 inches apart
Summer Squash -- 8 to 10 inches apart
Winter Squash -- 10 to 12 inches apart
Pumpkins -- 10 to 12 inches apart
Cantaloupe -- 6 to 8 inches apart
Watermelon -- 6 to 8 inches apart
Cucumber -- 8 to 10 inches apart
Summer Squash -- 10 to 12 inches apart
Winter Squash -- 12 to 14 inches apart
Pumpkins -- 12 to 14 inches apart
Cantaloupe -- 8 to 10 inches apart
Watermelon -- 10 to 12 inches apart
Rows or Hills
Cucumber -- 4 to 6 feet apart
Summer Squash -- 4 to 6 feet apart
Winter Squash -- 6 to 10 feet apart
Pumpkins -- 6 to 10 feet apart
Cantaloupe -- 4 to 6 feet apart
Watermelon -- 6 to 8 feet apart
To thin the rows or hills, allow the same spacing as for transplants. Sprouted seeds are spaced exactly like non-sprouted seeds.
Planted with vine crops radishes seem to repel some harmful insects, such as cucumber beetles and black flea beetles. Whether it's their sharp odor or because they exude some chemical that insects dislike, radishes work. Plus, they sprout quickly to mark the row, so you won't disturb the germinating seeds when you cultivate around the hills or rows to keep down weeds.
Sprinkle a few radish seeds in each planting spot. Any early maturing variety will do. Leave the radishes in place until they're way beyond the eating stage. Pull them up when you harvest the first small fruits from the vine. As you remove the radishes, you loosen the soil around the base of the plants, leaving good-sized cavities where the radish roots were. These holes become ducts for air and water, keeping the vine roots better supplied.
Radishes are most effective at warding off insects when vine crops are young. This is also when cucumber beetles can do the most damage, spreading disease that can knock out an entire young crop. By the time the radishes lose some of their potency, the vines are strong and well-established.