[ineedhelp]

I've just finished cooking nice lamb casserole and used butternut squash. I've save the butternut squash seeds and would like someone to tell me what I need to do to grow them.

ineedhelp. x

[Y.E.A.H]

all you need to do is wash them then let then drain for a few hours. then put them on a plate, and leave them to dry for 24 hours. then turn them over and let the other site dry for another 24 hours. when they all seem dry, leave them a week or two and then they are ready to grow 

[GreenOwl]

but don't sow them until late April!  Too early now.  They can't go outside until after the last frost.

[Kristen]

If they are from F1 parents they may not grow true-to-form (are commercial Squash grown from F1 seed, its blinking expensive [relative to other F1 seed]), and they are very promiscuous, so tend to cross fertilise (although I don't suppose that will be a problem if they were grown in a large field of Squash )

[ineedhelp]

I'll wash them and dry them......... but I don't understand the whole F1 thing 
I'll sow them at the end of April. Do I sow them in a pot first or straight into the ground. Should I plant seeds individually or in clusters of seed.

Thank you for the advice so far. x

[Kristen]

The F1 thing:

The plant breeder selects two different plants (a Daddy and a Mummy if you like). Each is selected for some specific characteristics - The Daddy is Tall but Dim, the Mummy is Short but Clever). The offspring ("First Generation", hence "F1") will all be Tall and Clever.  However, the seed from them will be mostly like the parents - either Tall, or Clever, but not both.

That's also why F1 seed tends to be expensive - a lot of work in keeping pure lines for the two parents, and in hand-pollinating the plants, and preventing any other pollination from occurring (as that would provide a mixed outcome).

So ... if you save seed from a fruit that was raised from F1 seed the crop you get will be variable.

I would put a couple of seeds in a small (3" say) pot on a windowsill at the end of April, and then when the roots have filled that pot pot-on into 4.5" pot and "Murder" the least-good of the two when they are big enough that you can make that choice.

Plant out 1st week of June (no rush, they hate being cold, but don't let them become pot bound - you will also be getting fed up with them by then as they will be getting quite large on the windowsill)

[Loubs]

The risk of growing an unknown F1 seed being that you might find yourself nurturing a short dim squash 

[diggerjoe]

that has to be the best and funniest description of F1 ever  Kristen- I hope this year I will not be growing dim veg I want mine to be clever!

[Kristen]

Plant Generics 101:

"Dad what's plant genetics?"

"Well ... you expect to be tall like me?"

"yes"

"And your mate Johnnie is short like his dad?"

"yes"

"So keep the nice fat corn and plant those so they grow big next year - like their Dads were"

"But Dad - they are the tastiest"

"Yeah, so there's another reason"

"But Dad ...."

"JUST DO IT"