Pumpkin Seeds

[JetSetPhil]

This week I bought 2 pumpkins from the local supermarket to carve into jack-o-lanturns. They were both full of hundreds of pumpkins seeds. I cleaned the flesh off the seeds and have a bowl of a good 300 or so. Do you think these seeds would be ok to grow pumpkins next year? I would mean I wouldnt need to buy seed next spring but Im not sure whether they would actually grow.

Has anyone had experience in the past of growing pumpkins from shop bought ones?

[rustylady]

They should grow, but do you really need 300?

[Two_Sheds]

Do you think these seeds would be ok to grow pumpkins next year?

You won't know what you're getting, but it might work. Pumpkins are very promiscuous, and will cross with anything else nearby, plus if it's an F1 the seeds won't come true anyway.

How To Save Your Own Seed at Home

We grew our own saved seeds at school this year ... the plant turned out about 20ft long, and had all of two fruits on it: quite hard green courgette things. Not very edible.

[Florence Fennel]

I'd roast the seeds you have and enjoy eating them JSP and buy seeds for next year

[JetSetPhil]

hmm, its probably not worth the hassle raising a few plants for them to churn out random veg. I like your idea of roasting them and I think ill give it a go =]

[Florence Fennel]

Save a couple to grow Phil, just to satisfy your curiosity!

[Mikey]

I saved some snowball seeds last year, and grew them on this year. 2 bred true the others were a mixed bag. I've saved a few this year also, but who knows what they'll do. I don't mind giving up a bit of space between my corn for these, gardening is all about experimenting. If you feel so inclined save a few seeds no more than 5 and see what you get.

If nothing else they are quite interesting to carve, see halloween carving thread on general chitchat, the long green one was a snowball seed, same as the little cream ones...

[Dusty Rhodes]

This week I bought 2 pumpkins from the local supermarket to carve into jack-o-lanturns. They were both full of hundreds of pumpkins seeds. I cleaned the flesh off the seeds and have a bowl of a good 300 or so. Do you think these seeds would be ok to grow pumpkins next year? I would mean I wouldnt need to buy seed next spring but Im not sure whether they would actually grow.

Has anyone had experience in the past of growing pumpkins from shop bought ones?

I've done it before for fun. They usually come from fields where there are thousands of others just like it growing all around. Chances are good they will resemble the store bought ones.

[Jelliebabe]

I agree with DR above - likely they were raised on a farm with thousands of others. Its only when you get a "mix" of types of squash that you could get rogue plants. I have successfully grown some lovely butternut squash from shop bought ones! Mind you I didn't save the seeds from the ones I grew at home as these could have been pollinated from my courgettes or spaghetti squash!