Now that Halloween is over (in a couple of hours), I want to run through what to do with the seeds from pumpkin carving. The next few days will be a new video each day depicting the fine art of collecting/processing/storing pumpkin seeds. Enjoy!
Oh, about seeds, so glad I can legally harvest from the pumpkin that we have — that might not be the case some day if we lose food freedoms from mega agriculture corporations. Keep food (and seeds) available to the people — vote Prop 37 (California)!!!
First some pumpkin pics:
Today = flowers
Day 2 = vine
Day 3 = new fruit
Day 4 = green manure
Day 5 = seed saving
Day 6 = seed planting
THEN a video re “Saving Happy Halloween Pumpkin Carving Seeds”. 6 videos (1/day) for the series!
Male pumpkin flowers have a long thin stalk as long as a foot from the vine. These flowers are pollen suppliers -- they will not die back and leave a fruit underneath the shriveled petals, as do the female flowers.
A female pumpkin flower being pollinated by a small swarm of midges.
Female pumpkin flower with typical bulbous base, close to the vine. Too early to tell whether pollination was successful -- the fresh petals tell me that this flower bloomed the night before or early this morning. The petals will die back by the next day. If she is not pollinated, the small base will shrivel up and fall off the vine. If she is pollinated, the flower petals will still die back, but the bulbous base will grow bigger -- a pumpkin is born!
European Honey Bees gather pollen in a squash flower. Note 1) the dusting of pollen on the bees' entire body; 2) the chamber-like ovule of this female flower; and, 3) the nectariferous area, or the inside bowl , that collects falling nectar -- sticky and hairy!
An interesting blog explaining pumpkin flower pollination, including hand-pollination (being your own pollinator): Pumpkin Nook
Saving Happy Halloween Pumpkin Carving Seeds — 1 of 6
Happy seed saving and see you tomorrow.
Tony