Saving the seeds in the fruits of the yellow summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) lets you plant them and enjoy the taste of their fruits year after year. In addition, it eliminates one reason to invest in a garden supply shop. Not every vegetable lends itself to simple seed-saving, but storing squash seeds does not take much effort. You may be surprised occasionally, nevertheless, because squash can cross-pollinate with its closely associated plants and create seeds for plants that you did not anticipate.
Planting Location
Plan ahead by planting your yellow dot far from all other members of the Cucurbita pepo species, such as zucchini and specific pumpkins. Doing so will prevent your yellow squashes from cross-pollinating with non-yellow squashes and producing seeds that result in plants that have fruits demonstrating traits of both parent plants’ fruitsand vegetables. In open areas, Cucurbita pepo species’ plants pollinate other such plants around 1/2 mile away. Trees, buildings and planners decrease the problem. So plant your yellow squash at a secure location separate from similar vegetables. Additionally, plant just one non-hybrid number; varieties do not always cross-pollinate well, and seeds from hybrids do not produce plants true to the parent plants.
Harvest Time
Saving seeds in yellow squash fruits requires letting a few of the fruits ripen and stay on the plants. They ought to stay on the plants until their outer skins, or rinds, become so hard that you can not make a dent in it with a fingernail. The fruits will not be edible anymore. They’re just good for freshwater harvesting when their rinds become the hard.
Collection and Planning
Slicing open the hardened fruits reveals the seeds inside. Scoop out the seeds with as small of their fruits’ flesh as you possibly can. Wash the seeds thoroughly with clean water, separating them from all attached flesh. Placing them in one layer on paper towels or paper helps them dry, although drying entirely may take a few days. When you squeeze a tree that is dry, it must feel hard and brittle. If it feels slightly spongy, it needs to dry a little longer.
Lifespan and Storage
Squash seeds remain viable for up to six years when stored properly. They need a cool, dry storage area. Pour the seeds into airtight containers, such as jars to which you fasten their eyelids, and put the containers in a fridge or basement storage room. Using small containers is greatest; when you open a container of seeds, plant all the seeds that year since they may not stay viable until the subsequent calendar year.