PREPARING SQUASH SEED

I had excellent Butternut Squash this year and saved some of the seed.
Should I remove the hard shell, leaving just the inside white kernel, or should i plant the entire seed, as would happen in nature?

Thanks,
Ernie

entire seed

FD,.
Will Do,

Thanks,
Ernie

Ernie, you think too much! (teasing)

Lisa,
What is worse, i am forgetting too much. I googled seed preparation a while back and one of the advisors actually recommended removing the hulls and just planting the white inside kernel, but that did not really seem right to me, so i thought i better ask you experts.

I just hope hulling or not hulling does not create a big dispute like the GMO did. LOL.

Ernie

Agreed, Ernie- the GMO thread really got outta control. That's when I will disappear for awhile and let the dust settle! I am here for helpful and upbeat info, and when it gets into bickering and arguing- I'm gone. Not that I am against an interesting discussion which usually involves healthy disagreement- I draw my own line so I can control my stress level-

Ernie, I think you should try both ways and do your own scientific experiment. Sharon

That's a good idea try both. I've never even thought to remove that outside of the squash seed.

Well, Hello Sharon.

I am running out of time, so i would rather let you youngsters do the experimenting and just tell me which works the best.

I planted four Butternut squash plants last year, and as i harvested parts of the rest of the garden those squash plants would crawl over and put down roots at each empty drip emitter, set blossoms and continue to produce. I had mature squash and blooms and everything else in between. Most fun i had all summer. We have made Squash soup, pumpkin pie, and a desert like candied yams from it, and i had nearly 250 squash from those four original and sprouted plants, so i gave away about three wheelbarrows full.

If you have grown winter squash did you use peeled seeds or with the hull on?
Ernie

I've always grown from whole seed, higher moisture in our area usually tho, so it didn't give the butternuts a problem...

I have grown Kaikai pumpkins that have naturally hull-less seed, for roasted pumpkin seed.
One thing I found out is that I need fresh seed every year - while the tough-hulled seeds will keep for several years.
So my suggestion is don't hull them until closer to planting time, because they will probably keep better hulls on.

PG,
Just to be on the safe side, i will plant some both ways, for insurance, and find out what works best in these conditions.

thanks,
Ernie

If you have enough seed to spare perform a simple germination test using damp, warm paper towels and plastic bags, one hulled, the other whole. You can quickly see of if makes a difference. Personally, I just plant them without concern, they germinate in warm moist soil quickly enough.