How deep should mounds be in a veggy garden?

Added on 07 April 2020

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How deep should mounds be in a veggy garden?

Vining cucurbits, such as squash (Cucurbita pepo), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and melon (Cucumis melo), need room to sprawl, so are often planted on flat-topped mounds. Horticultural terms can be confusing, though. When a seed packet advises planting in a "hill," it doesn't always mean a raised mound, so gauge the depth of mounds in your vegetable garden to soil conditions.

Hilling

Two common methods exist for planting seeds: "drilling," which refers to evenly spacing seeds in rows; and "hilling," which means planting in clusters of five or six seeds with spaces between the clusters. Hills are thinned to one to two of the strongest seedlings after germination.

Mound Options

Where conditions are wet and drainage is poor, an actual mound is recommended. Spacing is often listed on seed packets, though hill depth isn't. A mound doesn't need to be too high for effective drainage. Trace out a 1 1/2- to 2-foot-diameter circle, and dig a trench 4 inches deep and wide around the perimeter, piling the soil from the trench in the circle to create a low mound, about 2 inches deep with a flat top. Where summers are dry, do the opposite, dig a 1- to 2-inch-deep depression the same diameter as the hill, and plant the seeds in the center.

Source: Homeguides