What I have learned about growing squash

According to Jerry Baker of, well, Jerry Baker fame, in the world of natural remedies for garden pests, he claims that we should grow our squash and cucumbers in rubber tires, that something in the rubber repels the bugs.  

Well, let me tell you now, Toad Suck Squash bugs LOVED my black rubber tire that I planted in.  Must be the  "Red Neck Roy" has been bred into them.  BUT!!  I noticed that squash bugs are not in any of the squash plants I have growing in the spray painted tires.......Hmmmmmm...They were the garden itself, but not on the plants in the painted tires......

I decided to experiemnent, to spray paint the tire holding the butternut squash plant that I had been battling bugs over. 

I covered my big squash plant and soil with towels to protect it, and spray painted in stages~~1/3 at a time in Pistachio Green with a dusting of Caramel Latte metallic.  

I have counted 19 butternut squash growing here.

 I have not seen any squash bugs since.  I will also spray paint bricks and place them next to my in-ground squash plants.  We'll see how it goes.  I'll keep you posted.

BTW--the Terra Cotta colored tire in the back ground was spray painted with a base coat of white primer, then a coat of Pumpkin Orange and finished off with a dusting of Sparkling Canyon.