do pumpkins come true with saved seed

[Jimmy]

This year I have grown
Jack Be Little
Mini Sugar
Jack is a very small yellow pumpkin.
Mini Sugar if football sized and green.
I have had loads of both.

If I save the seeds from Jack will they grow true ??

Thanks
Jimmy

[Small pumpkin]

Probably not. They are even more promiscuous than chillies

[Jay-ell]

To have it come true you would have had to exclude bees from a male and female flower (to make sure the bees don't contaminate the males pollen) and hand pollinate then tie a string around the hand pollinated fruit so that you know which one it was.

Otherwise the female could be pollinated by any other pumpin or courgette of the same species (Jack be little is a Cucurbita Pepo, same as courgettes, but some pumpkins are Cucurbita Maxima)

[Jimmy]

Also correction
Mini Sugar is actually Small Sugar

All pics show them yellow but mine are green ???
Jimmy

[Small pumpkin]

Then they are not ripe yet and still growing!

[Jay-ell]

They should both turn orange when ripe - probably September or later

[nickdub]

Saving seeds from this sort of plant is a bit of a lucky dip - rather than worrying about x-pollinating, F1 etc I'd just save some and see what you get next year. It may be about the same, worse or better but it will definitely be a pumpkin, and as such a magnet for mice and Cinderellas.

[Two_Sheds]

Look at Real Seeds site for superb instructional on seed saving, of all breeds of vegetable