Seed Saving for the Cucurbitaceae Family

All members rely on insects for pollination. Each plant produces both male and female flowers. All members of the Cucurbitaceae family will accept pollen from other varieties within the same species. The progeny of any uncontrolled crosses produces plants and fruits that are widely varied and bear little resemblance to their parents.  Luckily there are several species, and it’s possible to grow one pumpkin from each species and get a reasonable range without them crossing. (i.e. you can grow 4 pumpkins each year, one from each of the pepo, moshata, maxima and mixta species without them crossing.) It is best to grow 6 pumpkins of each cultivar to maintain genetic variability, rather than saving seed from only one fruit or vine.

If you’re saving seed, you can also hand pollinate. Hand pollination is described very well in Suzanne Ashworth’s “Seed to Seed” (available from Koanga) and it works well. Traditionally, the seed is always saved from pumpkins that set after the first on each vine, and also from the middle of the pumpkin.