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Comment by tptacek | Hacker News Reader

If there is ever an apocolypse leaving me dependent on personal agriculture, I’m planting nothing but squash. Until then keep it away from my backyard.

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I would rethink your post-apocalyptic single-crop garden if I were you. Diversify, diversify, diversify.

If you're in the US and starting with squash, then the logical option would be:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(agriculture)

I've found companion planting beneficial, but have had terrible luck with the corn aspect of 3-sisters. It seems best suited for warmer US zones (6+), where corn can go in the ground well before beans. Otherwise, the beans will quickly overtake the corn.

I always have some tomato cages ready as backup, because even if the corn is big enough to support the beans, a gust of wind can blow it all over.

Also, deer eat corn shoots. Damn you, deer. Damn you.

I didn't care much for squash until I discovered spaghetti squash. I'll usually find space for at least one plant now.

I love spaghetti squash! Sadly, you rarely see it in the UK. In fact, you rarely see any squash except butternut here, which i'm not a fan of.

There's a farm somewhere south of London which does pick-your-own pattypans, and apparently at harvest time is overrun with South Africans, who evidently feel very strongly about them.

I've never heard of pattypans, they look absolutely delightful! I may have to experiment with them in the garden next year.

I loved butternut squash until we grew it and generated 98248928 squashes.

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