Courtesy of Wally S., Wally’s Urban Market Garden, Saskatoon, SK
I have to deal with weed pressure with some of my crops, but I find simplest is best. With squash, I find weekly hoeings or tillings between squash plants, once they are showing, keeps the weeds at bay until plants develop. At a certain point the leaves of the plant are pretty good at suppressing weed growth. I am also finding a certain amount of weeds are okay, as squash plants use them to anchor and support the vines as they spread out.
I know some people use intercropping for weed control and pest management, but I’ve found that is more trouble than it is worth, and it can actually cause different problems. Again, simplest is usually best. I’m expecting a great crop of heirloom squash and pumpkin this year, even in zone 3. Here’s what my squash crop looks like now.
