Do seeds from a pumpkin need to be dried before planting?

Question

I'd like to use the seeds from a pumpkin that I'm going to carve. Do I need to do anything special to them before planting them?

Answer 1

CHRISTINA, JUST CLEAN THEM AND WIPE THEM DRY AND PUT THEM IN A BAGGIE UNTIL YOU WANT TO PLANT THEM NEXT YEAR.

Answer 2

Not really. If the pumpkin is ripe, the seeds will be plump and full and easily separated from the filaments holding them to the pumpkin inner walls.

Scrape them from the inner walls, wash them to remove any remaining membranes (these will attract fungus if they are allowed to stay on the seeds). Place them on newspaper in a cool, dry place like your garage to air dry. Don't dry them in the oven or the seed will cook and not germinate.

When the seed coat is dry and papery on one side, scrape them from the newspapers, replace the newspapers and dry the other side of the seeds. When they're really dry, bag them in small zip-close plastic bags and punch a few small ventilation holes in the bags near the top. Label with variety and the year and store in a cool, dry place until you're ready to plant next year. The ground must be fully warmed before you plant pumpkins.

Answer 3

Yes, unless you are planting them right away. Otherwise they go moldy or may sprout in the baggie. Leave them out to dry overnight then put them inside a folder paper towel inside a baggie to store them. I am assuming that you do not plan on saving an entire pumpkin full! Also, if you seriously want to grow pumpkins, check when the growing season is in your area for the best time to plant them. Have fun!