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Question on planting squashes

 
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I live in southern Vermont, on a lot with about 10 acres of forest.  Our soil is very acidic.  I would like to plant squash up by the forest trees.  If I dig out a 12" cube of dirt and replace it with a good garden soil, will the squash grow?  I have garden space where I grow squash vertically for my family.  But I'd like to grow squash for feeding the chickens.  If the squash get bug ridden, so much the better.  But will it grow in acidic soil this way?
 
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Hi Diane!
if i understand correctly, squash prefer acidic soil. Not sure how acidic exactly yours is, but i also have acidic soil and it seems to do just fine (summer as well as winter squash). where i am what seems to limit squash most is light access (if it's under trees) and weather-- warm and dry years, the squash go bonkers. we're headed into a hot and wet cycle now and they'll probably die of mildew before they can produce much.
if i were you I'd bury throw some compost/kitchen or garden waste/chicken mess out there with that same dirt on top and plant your squash there. they seem to thrive on compost dirt.
 
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Usually, the soil in forests is very rich due to the abundance of leaf mold.

Maybe a good experiment would be to plant some without changing the soil and plant some with the good garden soil.  Also, plant some with Tereza's suggestion of planting in compost soil.

I have never had a problem growing squash though mine have always been summer squash.

Here is a thread about how amazing leaf mold is:

https://permies.com/t/13602/Incredible-Amazing-Leaf-Mold

This thread is about a similar situation:

https://permies.com/t/226265/Winter-squash-edge-woodlands
 
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