drying seeds

[fiona b]

can someone advise me the best way to treat and dry my pumpkin seeds to plant out in spring?

[Esther Greentree]

Hi Fiona,

This is the way I do it: first, put your pumpkin seeds, slimy threads and all, in a bowl of water. Leave for 5 minutes, then clean them out by separating the seeds from the threads and flesh. Put the clean seeds in a little colander or similar as you go. Rinse all the seeds in clean water once they're all in the colander.

Then use a wooden chopping board to spread out your seeds so that they are not touching each other. I have lots of little wooden boards for that purpose. Wood, unlike plastic, will absorb excess moisture. Leave the wooden boards with the seeds on top in a very dry place for 24 hours, then bag up for storage.

Sorry if you know this already, but unless you have lept your pumpkin plants quite far from any other pumpkin/squash/courgette, they will probably not breed true. That means that the plants from your saved seeds may not be identical to the plants you saved the seeds from. But they might be even better, and I regard it as part of the fun of saving pumpkin seeds.

I hope this helps.

Esther R

[fiona b]

esther

thanks for the advice. i did not know about the seeds not coming true but if they survive my attempts to preserve them and germinate i could be in for a surprise.

fiona

[j.flett]

drying seeds

hi I spread the seeds that I want drying in a muslim bag ,laid over a radiator top,the pepper & chillies that Ive dryed so far are perfect.check them daily ,as there is a differance in drying times ,depending on the sizes of seed.[soon be springtime.]

[Lottie]

I religiously saved my pumpkin and squash seeds and was very proud of my success - all the faffing about was going to be worth it and I was looking forward to giving some away in home made seed packets.

Then I read that they cross pollinate to they are now in the chickens

[Lesley Jay]

Only save seed that isn't from an F1 variety as F1's don't come true when you save the seeds.

[Hazel at the Hill]

This is the way I do it: first, put your pumpkin seeds, slimy threads and all, in a bowl of water. Leave for 5 minutes, then clean them out by separating the seeds from the threads and flesh. Put the clean seeds in a little colander or similar as you go. Rinse all the seeds in clean water once they're all in the colander.

Then use a wooden chopping board to spread out your seeds so that they are not touching each other. I have lots of little wooden boards for that purpose. Wood, unlike plastic, will absorb excess moisture. Leave the wooden boards with the seeds on top in a very dry place for 24 hours, then bag up for storage.

Done that with a gem squash from Waitrose that I have had for my tea - two questions, though -

• Will the seeds grow here (gem squash from SAfrica) into successful plants?
• Can I eat the dried seeds?

Nice to resurrect an old thread!

[Flummery]

I saved the seeds from a small squash (called something like 'carnival' or 'festival') bought from ASDA. I washed the seeds and dried them on a paper towel. They are still on there! I also save tom seeds (green zebra - not F1) like this and then just pick them off the towel when required. They came out looking similar if not identical to parent plant and were a superb free crop. I have done it again with son-of-carnival!