From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Ca

How old does a pumpkin usually have to be before it's seeds are viable for germinating?

7/8/2006 7:51:42 PM

Dillsburg, PA

I have had pumpkins stop growing at day 30 because of vine rot and they still produced seeds. A lot of them were immature though.

7/8/2006 8:34:38 PM

[email protected]

Bart Toftness pulled some viable seeds out of a 20 day old pumpkin. Personally our youngest was 30 days. Like Jeff said. many were immature, but some were OK. I should have counted them but didn't.

7/8/2006 9:43:08 PM

Wallingford,CT

yep, Steve is right about my 20 day seeds. I actually have one of them growing in the patch this year. It is necessary to remove the entire shell to get these to germinate when they are this young. The seeds look complete when opened except the cotyledons are not full. This leaves the seed without enough stores to feed it while it tries to get out of the shell. If I remove the shell they germinate and are a little weak but eventially they develope true leaves and then they are ok. I did use 24hour light untill the leaves start. You probably need to wait closer to 40 days for good germination rates. In a pinch and if you want the cross bad enough then it can be done.

7/8/2006 10:25:27 PM

Ohio

I had many in a row germinate on a young Rose pumpkin I grew exactly like Bart describes right after I took out the seeds out of the pumpkin but once they dried out completely I haven't got one to germinate in like 15 tries. Don't know why ether.

7/9/2006 5:08:56 AM

Wallingford,CT

Brooks, completly remove the shell and then try to germinate them in the wet paper towel/zip lock bag method. Once it 'germinates' and forms a root you can then put it in soil but only insert the root into the soil, leave the cotyledons above the dirt. Keep it moist and full direct light 24/7. I did one this way which never produced leaves but the others have. I tried more than 15 of these seeds with the shell on and they all failed. I think they are to weak to open the shell but with a little help they grow.

7/9/2006 7:43:28 AM

Long Island,New York

27 days. grew a fruit on my 572 and pulled the plant with a healthy 27 day old fruit on it too big to move....just left it sit there in patch and get overgrown by weeds for 40-50 days....seeds were 50% germination and more than 50% is you count the ones that were helped along.

7/9/2006 8:32:47 AM