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Location

Message

Date Posted

Lodi, California

I'm currently drying seeds from my 844 est. Pumpkin and there is something wrong. The seeds smell and a few have mold on them. What should I do? Thank you!

8/13/2013 2:39:40 PM

British Columbia, Canada

Hi Ashton, sometimes the outside skin of a pumpkin seed will not dry out quickly and can develop mold between the skin and the seed shell. Try blowing a fan on the seeds and place them in a dry location.

8/13/2013 3:23:21 PM

Germany

Did you wash the seeds with water? Several times? Last year I used to wash my seeds 3 or 4 times with water, thereby slightly squeezing them through my fingers (it works nicely in a bucket which, in addition to the seeds, contains about twice the amount of water, so that the seeds cannot float away), then I rubbed them dry with a big piece of cloth and then I placed them on paper towel and turned them every day. As soon as the thin transparent skin of the seeds started to fall off, I removed this skin from every seed and let the seeds dry for another couple days.

8/13/2013 3:47:25 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Wash with anti bacterial dish soap, rinse well and place on a window screen so that there is airflow above and below the seeds. Anyplace the seeds touch each other will probably result in a black spot.

8/13/2013 4:04:55 PM

Anamosa, IA [email protected]

If you have a sharp thumbnail and a couple hours to burn, you can scrape the thin membrane off the seeds right after you wash them. It is something to do while watching a movie or football game on TV. The seeds dry much faster and no mold, especially if you have a fan blowing on them and you stir them up twice a day. Only about 2 days drying time needed.

8/14/2013 10:33:54 AM

Rhode Island

ashton
844 est is fantastic for a first year grower.keep up the progress by planting seeds from large proven pumpkins would be my advise.
pap

8/14/2013 11:13:42 AM

Lodi, California

Thank you for the help! Last years seeds dryed perfectly and i'm drying the the same way this year. After extracting the seeds, i seperated the bulk pulp from the seeds, then i washed them with water (no soap as advised by Larry Checkon) several times until almost all of the pulp except for tiny pieces here and there where left. I then gave them a slight drying with a hair blower set on warm so that they wouldnt wet the papper too much. I put the seeds in two seprite layers, each layer having printer paper coming in contact with the seeds (i didnt have newspaper) I let them sit for a while and here i am now. I plan on changing the paper every few days. Thank you for the help!

8/14/2013 11:44:47 AM

Colorado

ditto on the fan

8/14/2013 12:42:11 PM

Lodi, California

Thank you for the help. The seeds are are still rotting. Is there anything else I can do? Thank you!

8/15/2013 11:54:51 AM

Nottingham, UK

Nana Rea once sent me some seed varieties and each was a metallic blue colour which I beleive was some kind of fungiside. I'm guessing you only apply this stuff to dried seeds for storage.

8/16/2013 6:58:56 PM

Mnt.pleasant ,tennessee

Severals years of drying fp seeds i wound up washing them over a big peice of ¼" fencing. Them use window screen on upside down box fan.then the fan is pulling air down over the top of seeds.& pulling air from botto complete circulation.no flip needed&in double time

8/16/2013 7:11:58 PM