HOW TO SAVE YOUR PUMPKIN SEEDS
Your pumpkin is carved, and set out ready to welcome the trick-or-treaters, but what do you do with all the seeds that you’ve been left with? Compost or food waste is where our pumpkin’s insides would usually end up… but why not try something different this year and save your seeds instead?
Before you start out on this venture, it’s always worth noting that pumpkins will happily cross-pollinate with other pumpkin and squash varieties via insect pollination. So, your champion pumpkin, whether it’s heirloom or hybrid, may not necessarily produce the same type of pumpkin next year (but we think that’s part of the fun!!)
How to save your seeds
Saving your seeds is quick and easy and doesn’t require any specialist equipment! All you need is a colander, baking paper, somewhere cool and dry, and an envelope.
Follow our simple steps below, and you could be carving your very own homegrown pumpkin next Halloween:
- Collect the pulp and seeds that you have removed from the inside of your pumpkin, and place them in a colander
- Run the colander and its contents under cold water, picking out the pumpkin seeds as they are uncovered, and giving them a rinse under the running water as you go
- Pumpkins have a lot more seeds in them than you might think, so once you have them all separated from the pulp, it’s a good idea to pick out the largest seeds, as these will have a better chance of germinating.
TIP – For the smaller seeds, instead of discarding them, why not roast them in the oven for 10 minutes with a little olive oil and seasoning for a healthy snack or to add to salads!
- Place your chosen seeds on a sheet of baking paper, making sure to leave enough space between each seed so they don’t stick together
- Place your seeds somewhere cool and dry for one week
- Once your seeds have completed the drying process, store them in an envelope ready to plant in the spring!
When it comes to planting your pumpkin seeds, our Mini 4 Blocker is the perfect place to start them. Use your Mini 4 Blocker with Dowel Pin Inserts, to allow space for the larger seeds.
You can purchase the Mini 4 with Dowel Pins here, or get yourself set up with the Starter or Median Kit for all of your Soil Blocking needs!
