Seed Saving: How to Save Squash Seeds

Introducing Part 1 of our series on Seed Saving: How to Save Squash Seeds!

You can find the original article about seed saving here:

https://kaitsgarden.com/2018/06/02/how-to-save-seeds/

Squash are part of the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes melons and watermelons, cucumbers and luffas, but today we are talking about pumpkins, winter squash, gourds, summer squash and zucchini.

Squash have male and female flowers, and are normally pollinated by insects. Different varieties within the same species can all cross, and pumpkins are actually the same species as zucchini! So to keep your pumpkins and zucchini from crossing and making a pumpkuzinnie, you’ll need to hand-pollinate. Don’t worry, squash are very easy to pollinate by hand!

Squash Species

Most seed catalogs list species

Cucubita pepo – these varieties will all cross with each other

Acorn Squash
Most Pumpkins
Most Crookneck Squash
Most small decorative Gourds
Zucchini
Vegetable Marrow
Scallop, or Patty Pan Squash

Cucurbita moschata – these varieties will all cross with each other

Some Cushaw-type Squash
Butternut Squash
Cheese Squash
Some Pumpkins

Cucurbita maxima – these varieties will all cross with each other

Hubbard Squash
Buttercup Squash
Banana Squash
Turban Squash
Some Pumpkins

Cucurbita mixta – these varieties will all cross with each other

Most Cushaw-type Squash
Some Crookneck Squash

Two less common species of squash are Cucurbita ficifolia (Malabar Gourd) and Cucurbita foetidissima (Buffalo Gourd)

How to Hand-Pollinate Squash

A male flower grows on a straight stem and has an anther in the center of the flower, which is covered in yellow pollen, while a female flower has a small fruit attached before it even opens. This male flower has already opened and probably been contaminated with other pollen by bees, so should not be used for hand pollination.

To hand-pollinate, male and female flowers that have not opened yet, like the female flower pictured, are selected in the evening and taped shut with a piece of masking tape. Ideally, male and female flowers from two different plants should be selected to protect genetic diversity and prevent inbreeding.

In the morning, remove the tape. Pick the male flower and remove its petals, then use it like a paintbrush to dust the pollen into the center of the female flower (called the stigma). You can also use a literal paintbrush to pick up pollen from the male and transfer it to the female flower.

After hand pollination, the female flower should be taped back shut or covered to prevent bees from contaminating it with pollen from other varieties. Tie a string or twisty tie around the stem so you’ll remember to save that squash for seed, or scratch a mark onto it with your fingernail…

Let the fruit grow until it is completely mature – summer squash will get enormous and develop a hard shell, like this mature zucchini.

After the fruit is picked, I like to store it for a few weeks or more, just to make sure the seeds are fully ripe. Cut open the squash and remove the seeds. Gently rinse and remove any pulp, then dry thoroughly and store for next year!

To read more, see our main article on Seed Saving here:

https://kaitsgarden.com/2018/06/02/how-to-save-seeds/

AND…we now have a special ONLINE COURSE available just for BEGINNING SEED SAVERS! You can read more about the course, Simple Seed Saving, here!