"Mike Lyle" wrote after...

Bob Hobden wrote:
[...]
Our cucurbits always grew very well and I used to just dig a bucket sized
hole, fill it with well rotted compost and plant the plant in the middle
of
that, never any problems.
Check the pH though, some clay can be acid and Lime helps break it up
anyway.

Bob, I see you're in a lowish-rainfall area. Would that planting-pocket
method work as well in the west? I'd be afraid that in clay the holes
would hold too much water.

Yes, it's actually a very low rainfall area in a low rainfall area. We often
remain totally dry when all around have a heavy downpour. It's become quite
a joke with friends, us praying for rain. (washing the car usually works!)
I have often seen it written that you plant your cucurbits on a hump of
compost to aid drainage and stop rot due to water laying around the plant,
never a problem here, I was taught to plant as I said and using the soil
taken out to form a dam around the plant to hold water.
In the West where it is considerably wetter you may well need to plant on a
hump but I see no reason why you couldn't use the "pocket" method as long as
the top of the plant stayed dry. Only answer is to try it with some and see
what happens compared to your usual method.
I knew an old gardener that used to plant his cucurbits on his oldest
compost heap.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK