Every year I try a new plant as an experiment. It adds variety to my diet as well as tests the endurance of different types of vegetables. This year I went with a squash from Africa called Red Kuri Squash. It is supposed to be heat resistant (a real plus for our summers) and disease resistant. Of course squash bugs may be a different matter. Its because of those little beasts that I've given up trying to grow my two favorite squash – Yellow straight neck and Zucchini. Now I mostly go with Spaghetti squash, Acorn, and Butternut.
This year, along with the new type of squash, I decided to try straw bale gardening as well. Rumor has it that squash bugs will not inhabit straw bales. We set up a bale and a half in the garden and followed the instructions in from a new book, Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten.
Last March, I brought out all of my squash seeds and started them in my mini green house.