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CT

Hi Everyone,

We have harvested more than 300 seeds from our big pumpkin Uncle Sam. How can we tell if these seeds are good or not? How do we know if they were mature or immature?

We want to make sure they are good seeds before we distribute any of them.

Thanks, yet again, for your help and advice.

Riverview School Kids

12/1/2000 12:03:22 PM

Commack, NY

i'm going to guess that they are already dry? if so, then it's fairly straightforward. what i usualy do is i squeeze the top of the seed (opposite the pointed end)ever so gently. usually a good seed will be fairly solid at this end, a bad one will either crack the shell, or you'll be able to squeeze your fingers togther. sometimes there are exceptions. i've seen seeds that look like total garbage sprout. but generally, a "good" seed will be solid from end to end. when you find a bad one, you will definatly be able to "feel" the difference just by touching it. they have a different sound to them, if that makes any sense. soon you'll be a pro!
scott

12/1/2000 2:14:30 PM

CT

Hi farmer scott,

Thanks for the info. about the seeds. We are still a bit unsure though. One thing that is troubling is how a 1,131 pound pumpkin can have no seeds that are mature, as in the case of last year's world record holder. Also, is 300+ seeds a very large number of seeds? How many do giant pumpkins usually average?

We know -- so many questions -- that kids for ya

Thanks again.

12/1/2000 3:18:18 PM

Commack, NY

different theories about why the 1131 had no seeds. the consensous i think was that the high nitrogen in the soil deterred seed development and maturation, but no one knows for sure. as far as number of seeds, it can vary quite a bit, as you've discovered! my 547 pounder this year had 626 seeds in it. my 407 est. from this year had 410 seeds in it. my 684 pounder from last year had 579 seeds in it. in '98 i grew a 301 pounder that had 402 seeds in it. so you never know. i've heard of people having over 700 seeds in a pumpkin. i dont think number of seeds has anything to do with size of the pumpkin, BUT it most likely has something to do with number of lobes in a female, and how well the it was pollinated, as well as environmental factors like temp. just my observations really. keep trying the seed squeeze method, maybe you have 100% success, and no duds!! that would be great! when you have a bad one, you'll know it.

scott

12/1/2000 4:02:08 PM

CT

Hi again,

Thanks for all the information! It is so interesting. Well, here our story. We harvested 378 seeds from our 230 pound pumpkin. We rinsed them off and dried them for a couple of weeks on wax paper with a fan blowing on them. They are now in mason jars with rice on the bottom. Hopefully, we have done this in such a way as the seeds will have a good start. Most of them look pretty good and look as though they will pass your squeeze test. A few are obviously quite small or have some damage to the outside. We will not use those. Just one more question about our seeds. They don't seem to be as dark in color as those we have seen pictured. We didn't plant last year's pumpkin from seed, so we don't really know what they are supposed to look like. Are the seeds supposed to be dark brown? Ours are more like a light beige color.

Thanks - RVSK

12/1/2000 4:19:44 PM

Connecticut, USA

They can range in color. In fact the seeds from my 457 from last year are white. One other thing to look for is make sure they have not started to sprout. The reason we have fewer seeds available from my 604 is that most of them sprouted inside the pumpkin.

12/1/2000 6:26:50 PM

I think that earlier this year Gerry and Larry decided that it wasn't the amount of nitrogen, but the way you treat the plant. I read that a late set fruit on Gerry's plant this year started rotting in late August then was culled and had a around 500 mature seeds. The plant that it was on was in the same patch as Moonie was grown in. They had had trouble with root rot on this plant. Take last year: 1131 no mature seeds, 1190 very, very few mature seeds. Both of these plants were kept bug free and disease free. I think that Larry and Gerry had a theory that if you pamper your plants too much, the plants will see no reason to produce seeds because it thinks that it will live forever.

Alex

12/1/2000 8:06:31 PM

CT

Thanks Ken & Umpy --

Good to hear from you both. I guess our seeds are just fine and we are looking forward to an even bigger pumpkin this season. We learned a lot last year and hope to avoid some of the mistakes we made last season. You can bet there will be no openings left in the fence!! No squirrels allowed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again,

RVSK

12/1/2000 11:04:15 PM

Connecticut, USA

RVSK,

I would encourage you to select seeds with a known parantage. I don't think Uncle Sam had one?

John

12/1/2000 11:38:33 PM

College Park MD USA

RVSK,
If you want to be sure your seeds are viable, try this. Select 10 or 20 seeds at random. Dampen two paper towels; lay the seeds down on one of them, making sure they aren't touching; cover them with the other paper towel. Gently roll them up, then put them into a plastic bag. Put the plastic someplace warm, preferably around 75 degrees farenheit (the top of a refrigerator or water heater is a good place). If the temperature is too cool (below 60 degrees), the seeds will rot.
Check them every day. They should sprout in 3 to 5 days, and you will get a pretty good idea of what percent germination you will get. This method can also be used to start your seeds in the spring; start them in the bag 3 days before you are ready to sow them, then plant them as soon as they sprout.
This method gives you an accurate reading, and takes the guesswork out of it.
I hope this information is helpful.
Happy Gardening,
Pumpkinhead

12/28/2000 11:32:24 PM