How to Prepare Harvested Pumpkin Seeds for Planting
Pumpkins are members of the squash and gourd family. Saving seeds from these large vegetables to plant the following year can yield interesting results in the next growing season because cross-pollination from other gourds and squashes may create an entirely new type of pumpkin. Pumpkin plants that are kept isolated from other pollinating plants will continue to yield the same basic variety. Seeds that are saved year after year will thrive in the same environment, and the resulting vegetables will become acclimated to the growing conditions. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Ripe pumpkin
- Large knife
- Large spoon
- Warm water
- Cookie sheet
- Sealed glass jar
Instructions
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1
Choose a ripe pumpkin in which the outer skin or shell is hard and not easily indented by pressing your fingernail into the outer skin. Allow the pumpkin to set indoors in a cool dry place for up to eight weeks to bring more nutrients into the seeds.
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2
Cut the pumpkin in half with a large knife. Scoop the seeds from the gourd with the spoon. You can bake the clean halves of the pumpkin and eat the flesh just as any other winter squash.
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3
Rinse and wash the seeds under warm water. Sort the seeds, keeping only the fattest and plumpest of the collection. Smaller seeds are immature and will not germinate.
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4
Lay the washed and sorted seeds on the cookie sheet to dry. Place the sheet of seeds in a cool and dry area. Check the seeds every other day and mix them on the cookie sheet so they do not stick to the metal surface. This will also keep down any form of mold or mildew growth.
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Place the hard and dry seeds into a glass container that can be sealed from the outdoor environment. The container should be kept in a cool dry environment away from any sunlight. Inspect the seeds every so often in case of any premature growth or possible mildew formation. Some squash seeds can be stored for up to four years.
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Tips & Warnings
If mold and mildew does begin to form, pull the seeds from the jar and sort out the bad pumpkin seeds. Allow the seeds to dry again on the cookie sheet. Wash the jar with hot soapy water and treat the jar with a mild bleach solution. Use 1 teaspoon of bleach to a full jar of water. Allow the solution to sit for up to one hour. Rinse and allow the jar to air dry.
