Saving seeds: pumpkins

If you’re growing open-pollinated (heirloom) pumpkins, you can save the seed to grow future crops. All things going well, the plants and fruit will be identical to the parent variety. Here’s the catch: pumpkin flowers are pollinated by bees, which often share pollen between neighbouring pumpkin plants. This results in hybrids, and it happens quite often in the pumpkin patch.

I once saved seed from a Butternut pumpkin that was grown at the same time my neighbour was growing Kent pumpkins. When I later planted the seed, the fruit was a curious mix: the familiar pear-like shape of a Butternut with the stripes and speckles of a Kent.

It was a fun surprise and still tasted great, but if you want to ensure your seeds grow true to type, a little extra effort is required.

The easiest solution is to grow only one pumpkin variety in your garden each summer.

If that’s not an option, you’ll need to hand-pollinate. Select an unopened female flower (you’ll spot it by the tiny fruit at its base) and cover it with a nylon stocking. When the flower opens, collect pollen from a male flower (the ones on slender stems) of the same variety and transfer it to the female flower. Re-cover the flower for a few days to prevent any unplanned pollination and loosely tie a ribbon around the stem so you know which fruit to harvest your seed from.

To store your harvested seeds, wash off the pulpy coating and lay them out on paper towel to dry completely. Once dry, place them in an airtight container, label them with the variety and harvest date, and store them in a cool, dark, dry spot. Properly stored, pumpkin seeds can stay viable for up to four years.

For more information about seed saving, head to our essential seed saving guide. You’ll find tips on harvesting and storing pumpkins in our Autumn 2025 issue (OG 156), available here.