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seacoast of NH

I have a question about giving my AG seed away. I got lots of good seed to give to my daughters 3rd grade class but will they be any good if I didn't pollinate the female blossom they came from? I have about 150 good seed but I don't want to dissapoint them. Does anybody know what might happen?

11/6/2004 5:44:31 PM

Hobbiton New Zealand

The flower had to get pollinated at some stage or else you would not have got a pumpkin to grow from that flower. So it will be a open pollination with itself or another giant pumpkin that was growing close

11/6/2004 5:50:19 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

This is true. If seeds formed, then the bees pollinated for you. Test germinate a few just so you feel better about the sharing. We distribute about 400 seeds every year to my sons elementery school. This year I know that at least 2 families produced 150lb pumpkins. The looks on their faces makes wasting 398 seeds more than worth while!

11/6/2004 9:14:17 PM

seacoast of NH

Thanks Tremor & Darky,
I will test germinate them first and hope they get something. They were so excited to see my pumpkins and got to guess the weight of the biggest. Now I'd like them to try. Kind of sewing seeds for the future BP growers.

11/6/2004 9:21:27 PM

Ohio

GardenBug, I gave seeds to my Daughters class, they was amazed of the size of the seed, and so was the teacher, I sent the pictures of the pumpkins with the seeds, The teacher said they had a great time talking about it with the class. ;-) I think they are going to try to germinate some of them seeds as a project. I told the teacher it would be fine with me just as long as she gave me a little spelling class in return,lol
Brooks

11/7/2004 12:01:33 AM

Ohio

....and a picture with my next years pumpkin,lol, JUST KIDDING MIKE!!,LOL

11/7/2004 12:03:38 AM

Minnesota(dw447@fastmail.fm)

There could be a chance the bees were carrying pollen from a Maxuma species squash(other than an A.G.), and this would affect the size, shape, color, etc., if the cross occurred.
Just something to consider.

Doug

11/7/2004 1:20:38 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

It sure would be a bad thing to dissappoint them but in the third grade they'll mostly be happy to grow anything fairly big and at least the pumpkins will probably all look a bit similar at any rate.

Any ag seed in my opinion has the genetics to produce at least 500lbs. and some better seeds do much better with out any care at all such as my 557White03 seed but the pumpkins are not very pretty from it.

Who knows, but I don't think you can go wrong by letting them grow something.
I love the looks on their faces when they see and touch a pumpkin!
Michel

11/7/2004 1:36:30 PM

Atlanta, Georgia

Oops,
I didn't mean that the 557 produced over 500lbs. but I meant that it did better with no care than the average
store-bought ag seeds from a few years back without any care.
Michel

11/7/2004 1:38:21 PM