I have to disagree - although direct seeding does usually work out okay for the cukes and squash, there is nothing wrong with starting them early and transplanting them into the garden, and with cukes and summer squash you get fruit earlier by doing so. I start mine about 4 weeks before I want to plant them out, using plastic pots; I really dislike peat pots because they seem to want to trap the roots inside, unless you kind of tear the pot open at the time of planting, and you need to be careful not to leave the top edge of the peat pot exposed or it will wick moisture away from the plant roots, and for me, at least, it's easier to just pop the root ball out of a pot and plant it that way. The plants should, of course, be hardened off before putting them out - or you can plant them and then cover with floating row cover for protection from the sun and wind for a while (I actually think that's a good idea even if the plants have been hardened off).
