If you happen to have an extra compost heap lying around that you don’t plan to use anytime soon, consider sowing it with cucumbers and/or other cucurbits—squash, pumpkins, zucchini, melons, marrows, and the like. They love the warmth and richness of the compost, as many gardeners have learned after tossing cucurbit remains in the compost bin. Their roots will also help rework the compost as they grow, and at the end of the season, you can work the dead plants back into the compost. Incidentally, this method of growing cucurbits is one that’s long been practiced, quite purposefully, in Europe.
When you turn the dead plants back into the compost, use some compost accelerator to speed up composting time. This is helpful if you are composting for a multi-season garden.
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Thanks for the great tip. Another advantage to this is that groundhogs may not find the stuff growing in there! Are you meaning an open compost pile, or would a bin work, too? (And isn’t “cucurbits” a great word?)
Yep – got a few squashes growing from my compost pile : )