Testing viability of squash seeds

[WillyNelson]

I saved the seeds from a shop bought butternut squash the other week with the view to growing my own this year. What's best way of checking their viability? I was planning to roll a few of them into some damp kitchen paper like we used to do with beans at school & leave them in a jam jar on the sunny kitchen window sill, see if they germinate.

[zazen999]

You can, but usually they will be thin if they aren't viable.

True viability won't be known until you grow them, to see if they have crossed.

[Flummery]

Try them out at sowing time - it's too early to grow them now anyway.

[sarraceniac]

You may not know until harvest time (or near that). I grew some butternut seeds last year from a Morrison's fruit. Wonderful. Thick lush leaves. Great size. Oh. Except the fruit. Zero. Zilch. Not a sniff. But I am trying again this year. But this time I'm growing for foliage. (Honest).

[WillyNelson]

I see. So even if they grow they may not fruit. I might stick with some bought seeds then, just to be sure.

Thanks all.

[Two_Sheds]

Yes Willy, squash is one seed worth spending money on. Sweetcorn is another.

[lottie dolly]

these are what my son grew last year from a shop bought butternut,and was the same the year before,they came home in my car boot,you can see how big a lot were from the size of my hand,not sure if the original 1 was tesco or asda,he gets 1 about now,lets the seed dry a bit,than pots up when it's time,we still have some left,umumum.

[Lovage]

Seed saved from a shop bought squash may have crossed with another squash or even a courgette or pumpkin - results could be very variable. There is a picture on another forum of a fruit which is literally half butternut and half marrow!

Even if the seed were purely butternut it may not be the best variety for use here - it may have been grown abroad.
A recent article in 'The Garden' gave the results of the RHS trial of butternut varieties.
Untill recently all seed was from American bred varieties. Now there are new varieties bred here to perform better in the average British summer with higher rainfall and less sun.
In the RHS trial, Britsh bred cultivars 'Cobnut' 'Harrier' 'Hawk' and 'Hunter' produced high yields of fully ripe fruit and were given an Award of Garden Merit.
Some of the American varieties only produced four fruits from eight plants wheras Hunter produced 60 fully ripe fruit from eight plants

A convincing argument for buying seeds of the best variety

[sarraceniac]

I'm certainly convinced, after last years fiasco Lovage, and TS. I love the challenge of growing from impossible sources but not too impossible. The odds are against you and I don't gamble (much). I've actually already bought a couple of different squash seeds. But I'm still going to pop in a couple of Morrison's specials. It's the scientist in me.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm still going to pop in a couple of Morrison's specials. It's the scientist in me.

I did last year. I also grow supermarket garlic & spuds.

I don't know how my Tesco butternut did though, because all the labels got lost/mixed up (the greenhouses continually blew over last year, knocking all seedlings over the patio. Resulting re-labelling was an educated guess, at best)

[Alison]

As squashes take up a lot of space I want to maximise their effectiveness (I do love squashes and want as many as I can to see me through the winter and I'm disappointed this year that I only have 2 left now ) so prefer to grow from seeds I can trust although am intending to save some of my own this year (but that will be involving elastic bands and therefore isolation of pollen rather than pot luck supermarket ones). However so long as you know that you might end up with something which doesn't fruit as it's unsuitable for the UK or not that tasty and have the space then go for it, you might get a wonderful surprise.

[Flummery]

I've successfully grown supermarket squash seeds. They will almost certainly be viable but not necessarily the best for your conditions - they might have been grown in Peru! If you want a few reliable plants, bought seed is best. If you're up for a challenge, bang 'em in!

[OverWyreGrower]

I'm planning a HUGE squash bed this year.... half is going to be from seeds from bought BNS/other squash (4 varieties), and half from 'proper' seeds... will be interesting, anyway!

[WillyNelson]

I'm planning quite a few too, OWG. At least half the plot for groundcover & lots of lovely winter veg (& halloween carvers!).

I'm thinking my best bet might be to get some commercial seed this year & then save seed from those fruits for next year. That way I know what type they are and they're more likley to succeed next season.

[Two_Sheds]

That way I know what type they are and they're more likley to succeed next season.

No, not necessarily. If you have an F1 type, then its parents are not the same as it (they are both different)...thus the children of it won't be the same either.

flummery or zazen can explain it better than I can.