There are most likely few crops as concurrently helpful and undervalued because the squash. These beneficiant vegetation develop freely, and feed folks by way of the summer season as zucchini and yellow crookneck. Then folks develop bored with them, and make jokes about attempting and failing to share them with others — although that’s an issue I’ve by no means skilled. There is no such thing as a such factor as “an excessive amount of zucchini” for me.
Come fall, squash are marketed as “pumpkins” or are erroneously named “gourds” and thousands and thousands of kilos of delectable, scrumptious meals is carved, painted, stacked, and left to rot on entrance porches throughout the USA (a apply I detest and so, try and salvage them yearly).
I’m advocating for a reconsideration of our relationship with squash. These vegetation are extra than simply decorations. They’re a number of the unique storage meals vegetation, providing these clever sufficient to develop them and save them a possibility to have meals by way of a protracted, chilly winter. I hope that I’m not alone in my squash appreciation, and should you’re studying this text, meaning you, too, are excited about rising your personal squash, and saving seeds to plant subsequent yr.
Now why would you wish to save your personal squash seeds? Many causes!
The primary is, in fact, the power to have backyard self-sufficiency. In case you depend upon a seed buy yearly to get your meals plot rising, you’re fairly depending on that buy. In case you learn to save your personal seeds, you’re not solely extra frugal, however much more free from the clutch of the seed catalogs.
Moreover, saving your personal squash seeds permits you to choose for stronger, extra land-adapted squash with each passing yr. Since my land is plagued with each drought and squash bugs, I’m engaged on breeding my very own landrace squash varieties to pick for insect resistance and local weather resilience. You possibly can breed your personal squash to perform your targets with the identical talent. And eventually, it’s actually enjoyable … you understand, in a nerdy gardener kind of means.
With that stated, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of Cucurbita seed savin’!
1. Know Your Squash
In terms of saving squash seeds, it’s just a little extra sophisticated than simply placing seeds to soil. Of all of the backyard vegetation, these are most likely a number of the least understood (as their many names counsel). In case you’ll enable, right here’s a quick squash primer to get you higher acquainted.
Plant taxonomists haven’t actually agreed on what number of species of vegetation fall underneath the Cucurbita genus. The quantity ranges from 13 to 30 — however for our functions (and our sanity), we’ll be discussing the 4 predominant species which can be used as meals in the USA.
Cucurbita Maxima
Cucurbita maxima. There’s a mind-boggling array of sorts derived from this species. It grows loads of your large “pumpkins,” in addition to the long-storing Hubbard squash.
Cucurbita Moschata
Cucurbita moschata. These are your butternut-type squashes. Although they don’t all have that attribute form, most of them do have tan pores and skin and a brilliant sunset-orange inside.
Cucurbita Pepo
Cucurbita pepo. Nearly all the so-called “summer season squash” got here from this species — the whole lot from zucchini to yellow crookneck. This group additionally consists of your spaghetti squash, and loads of the pumpkins of us use for carving and pie making (though most any squash can be utilized for scrumptious pie).
Cucurbita Argyrosperma / Cucurbita Mixta
Cucurbita argyrosperma (typically referred to as Cucurbita mixta). You’re most definitely to come across this typically massive squash as a green-striped ornament, however they’re good for storage and consuming as effectively. The most typical sort in my space is a few variant of “cushaw” however there’s many greater than that.
Why know these 4 species? Nicely, squashes are a promiscuous bunch. Since they’re insect-pollinated, it’s very straightforward for pollinators to cross squash forms of the identical species. It’s possible you’ll assume you’re rising spaghetti squash, black star zucchini, and small pie pumpkins in your backyard, for instance, however these three varieties are all Cucurbita pepo, they usually’ll cross-pollinate. Save seeds from them, and also you’ll have doubtlessly attention-grabbing mixtures of all three, however no true seed.
The one means you could possibly save true seed in that scenario is to hand-pollinate and tape blossoms. It’s an interesting endeavor for the curious, in fact, however one that will find yourself being extra hassle than it’s value for the typical gardener. As a substitute, if you wish to develop a lot of squash with out them crossing, you’ll be able to develop one selection from every species, and nonetheless save true seed at harvest time.
2. Develop Your Squash
With the intention to save seeds from a squash fruit, the fruit must be absolutely mature. In case you’re saving seeds from winter squash with absolutely developed flavors and onerous skins, getting viable seeds is as straightforward as reducing the fruit open and scooping out the seeds. On this means, it can save you seeds from any pumpkin or squash purchased at a grocer retailer or farmers market. Granted, these seeds will most definitely be hybridized, however they nonetheless can produce tasty squash. I’ve grown dozens of pumpkins with seeds harvested from grocery retailer winter squash.
If you wish to save seeds from summer season squashes, nonetheless, you’ll must develop them your self. The tender zucchini, buttery crookneck, and savory yellow squash that we take pleasure in all summer season are eaten of their babyhood. That’s why their seeds, should you discover them in any respect, are barely seen in a smooth white inside, and positively nothing value saving. Even overripe summer season squash, just like the monster zucchini that you simply typically stumble throughout midsummer, are nonetheless not absolutely ripe in a seed-developing sense. No. If you wish to save seeds from summer season squash, you’ve bought to allow them to develop to their last, monstrous type. Which brings me to the subsequent level.
3. Permit to Ripen Absolutely
Whether or not you’re rising winter or summer season squash, the one method to harvest viable seeds is to allow them to ripen fully. Relying on the variability, this may take wherever from 80 to 110 days, relying on the variability (C. moschata squashes take the longest). The usual backyard recommendation is to check the pores and skin of a doubtlessly ripe squash together with your fingernail. In case your fingernail pierces the pores and skin, it’s nowhere shut. If it dents the pores and skin, you’re nearly there, however not fairly. As soon as the pores and skin is so onerous {that a} fingernail doesn’t go away a lot hint, you have got a ripe squash.
That is true for all 4 species talked about on this article, however most likely essential to know for something grown as a summer season squash.
4. Remedy the Squash
This isn’t essentially essential for seed-saving, however it issues for squash consuming. In case you’ve grown a pumpkin, summer season, or winter squash to maturity, you’ll enormously prolong its shelf life by setting it in a dry, heat location out of the solar, for at the least per week. This may enable the squash pores and skin to dry, and type a protecting barrier in opposition to mould, rot, and something that might put entropy in movement (at the least for a time).
I’ve learn conflicting recommendation about what to do with the squash at this level. Some gardeners suggest dipping the squash in a vinegar or bleach answer to stop mould development in storage. Different growers warning to utterly keep away from doing any kind of floor cleansing earlier than storage. What’s true? In my expertise, absolutely cured, sound squash wants no chemical floor remedy. In our kitchen, if a squash develops a smooth spot, it’s a silent declaration that it’s time to be eaten.
In case you discover {that a} squash is growing wrinkled pores and skin or spots of mould, it’s time to ship it to the kitchen. Wrinkled pores and skin means its drying out (maybe it wasn’t absolutely mature when lower), and mould could be lower off so long as it didn’t go into the seed cavity.
Now technically, at this level, you’ll be able to lower any of your mature squash open and harvest seeds, however for the absolute best seed harvest, transfer alongside to my subsequent level.
5. Permit to Sit for at Least a Month, if Potential
In her e book Seed to Seed, Suzanne Ashworth recommends that cured squash be allowed to sit down, at room temperature, for at the least a month earlier than seeds are harvested. Within the case of C. moschata sorts, three months. This time permits the ripening course of to totally run its course.
6. Reduce Squash Open and Take away Seeds
Lastly! This step, I hope, wants no additional rationalization.
6.1 Eat Your Squash
Perhaps it’s a private vendetta, however I have to exhort you to benefit from the squash you’ve labored so onerous to develop. Winter squash are supposed to be eaten on this stage, in fact, however don’t write off the “overripe” summer season squash, both. Absolutely mature zucchini is nice in vegetable soup, for instance, and another summer season squash make wonderful winter squash if given the possibility.
7. Rinse Seeds Beneath Water and Permit to Dry Absolutely
Squash seeds are normally a considerably goopy orange with their inside pulp. Place the seeds in a bowl of cool water, and rub off as a lot colour as you’ll be able to. Then, pour them by way of a sieve and select any remaining pulp strands.
Unfold seeds in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet and permit to dry absolutely — at the least two weeks, possibly extra. Combine them day-after-day to reveal all of the surfaces to air, and don’t rush this step. My first yr saving seeds, I misplaced an entire harvest of Burgess buttercup seeds to mould as a result of I put them in storage too quickly. Then I did it once more with a load of Seminole pumpkin. Study from (all) my errors: Take. Your. Time.
Additionally bear in mind, squash seeds are irresistible to passing rodents. Since squash seeds are normally within the kitchen across the fall when mice are shifting into winter hiding locations, you’ll want to dry your squash seeds out of attain.
8. Take away Any Ghost Seeds (Elective, however Advisable)
As soon as seeds are absolutely dry, I all the time undergo them and take away what I name ghost seeds. These are seeds that look regular, however are completely empty inside. You will discover ghost seeds simply by giving each seed a squeeze earlier than you set it in storage. Good seeds will really feel heavy and full. Squeezing them received’t do something. Ghost seeds can be gentle in your hand and provides just a little once you squeeze them — sort of like a balloon. Both compost these or throw them to the chickens as a disappointing snack.
9. Label and Retailer
As soon as your completely, 100% optimistic the seeds are super-duper dry, slip them in an envelope labeled with the variability identify and yr of harvest. Retailer in a cool, dry location by way of the winter. Then you’ll be able to spend the chilly months dreaming of the nice and cozy, late-spring days once you’ll retrieve your personal homegrown seeds from storage, and slide them into the soil for a brand new era of homegrown goodness.
What seeds of squash are you saving this yr? Tell us within the feedback under!
