Saving Squash Seeds

AlittleSalt · July 13, 2015

The squash in the pictures below are Gialla Nostrale squash. A friend here at Tomatoville sent me 3 seeds to grow. I'm trying to get seeds from them.

I think I have this right, but would like opinions on how to save squash seeds.

I let them grow until they won't grow any larger.
I let them stay on-vine until the skin got really hard.
Then cut it open, remove seeds, wash them, let them dry on a rack, and put them on newspaper to dry for a couple weeks.

Worth1 · July 13, 2015

Salt I have saved seeds from store bought butternut squash and have had them sprout.
I would suggest that what your are doing will be just fine and do believe you could save them even earlier.

Worth

jmsieglaff · July 13, 2015

I have done the same. I recall reading about letting the squash sit for about a month in a cool place after picking helps increase the viability of all seeds--can't say if it is true or not, but I did so last year and my squash seeds had pretty much 100% germination.

jmsieglaff · July 13, 2015

Have you tried any of the squash as summer squash, picked a few days after flowering?

AlittleSalt · July 13, 2015

I have not tried them. Three plants grew one squash per plant. They are planted in a garden that stayed wet way too long.

luigiwu · July 13, 2015

YAY Robert!!!!

This is a happy sight indeed!
But I wonder, mine also only grew one squash before the plant died from vine borers.
If I was any good at crossing and had lots of space, I would want to try crossing this with tatume.

AlittleSalt · July 13, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

I have done the same. I recall reading about letting the squash sit for about a month in a cool place after picking helps increase the viability of all seeds--can't say if it is true or not, but I did so last year and my squash seeds had pretty much 100% germination.

I read something saying the same. Now that I have a few minutes...what a day... I need to look that up again. I haven't cut into the one squash I pulled today and two are still on-vine. I grew these squash for the sole purpose of saving seeds. I was hoping to get to taste them, but that will have to wait until next year.

When and/or if I find the links supporting the waiting time, I'll post them in an edit to this post.

Luigiwu, I'm researching about best viability now

AlittleSalt · July 13, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

I have done the same. I recall reading about letting the squash sit for about a month in a cool place after picking helps increase the viability of all seeds--can't say if it is true or not, but I did so last year and my squash seeds had pretty much 100% germination.

This site supports this: http://howtosaveseeds.com/seedsavingdetails.php

July 13, 2015	#6
luigiwu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: ny Posts: 1,219	YAY Robert!!!! This is a happy sight indeed! But I wonder, mine also only grew one squash before the plant died from vine borers. If I was any good at crossing and had lots of space, I would want to try crossing this with tatume. __________________ Subirrigated Container gardening (RGGS) in NY, Zone 7!

July 13, 2015	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Salt I have saved seeds from store bought butternut squash and have had them sprout. I would suggest that what your are doing will be just fine and do believe you could save them even earlier. Worth

July 13, 2015	#3
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	I have done the same. I recall reading about letting the squash sit for about a month in a cool place after picking helps increase the viability of all seeds--can't say if it is true or not, but I did so last year and my squash seeds had pretty much 100% germination.

July 13, 2015	#5
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I have not tried them. Three plants grew one squash per plant. They are planted in a garden that stayed wet way too long.