From yummy pumpkin pies to charming fall decoration, there’s no short supply of use for these traditional fall staples, but have you ever believed about saving your own pumpkin seeds? In this guide, we’re detailing the 6 simple actions you require to follow for saving your pumpkin seeds to plant next spring.

How To Save Pumpkin Seeds For Planting
Conserving pumpkin seeds for planting next season isn’t difficult, however it is time consuming. In general, it takes about a month to prep your seeds before you’re all set to keep up until it’s time to plant in the next year. You can begin prepping your seeds throughout the fall time when your existing pumpkins are totally grown or when you begin to sculpt your own jack-o’- lantern. Harvesting your own seeds from the pumpkins you currently have is a terrific method to get ahead for next year’s harvest by growing your fall staple rather of purchasing them from the shop.

Here are the tools you’ll need for saving pumpkin seeds:

Serrated veggie knife
Spoon
Bowl
Colander
Paper towels
Wax paper
Baking sheet
Envelope
Step 1: Cut Off the Top
Start by taking your serrated vegetable knife and thoroughly cutting off the top of the pumpkin. Get rid of the top (consisting of the stem).

Action 2: Separate Seeds from Pulp
Now that the top is off, use your hands or a big spoon to dig the center of the pumpkin, pulp and all. When the pulp is out, use your fingers to separate the seeds from the pulp. Place the seeds in a bowl and dispose of the pulp into the garbage.

Step 3: Keep the Largest Seeds
With the pulp discarded, invest some time observing all the seeds and keeping all of the biggest seeds. The larger seeds are the ones to keep because they have a better opportunity of germinating versus the tiniest seeds.
Step 4: Dry Overnight
Once you’ve gone through and took out all of the biggest seeds, rinse them off in a colander. Eliminate the seeds right away and put them on a paper towel to dry totally over night. They need to be arranged in a single layer and not overlapping so all the water can evaporate.

Step 5: Store Appropriately
Inspect your pumpkin seeds the next day to ensure they’re completely dry. If they are, Arrange them on another paper towel on top of a baking sheet before saving the seeds in a cool, dark place for three weeks or approximately a month.

Step 6: Seal In an Envelope
After your seeds have spent about a month drying, remove them from their spot and check the seeds. If any have formed or mildewed, throw them away before placing the rest in an envelope and saving till you’re prepared to plant.

When To Plant Pumpkin Seeds
Late spring to early summer is the very best time of year to plant your pumpkin seeds given that the last frost has passed. Preferably, you ought to plant 3 to 5 seeds per mound, which means you should prepare to harvest 3 times more seeds than the number of pumpkins you prepare to plant so you can ensure you gather enough seeds to grow. The amount of time it takes pumpkins to grow depends entirely on the variety you’ve planted. Some pumpkins can grow quick within 90 days, so the earlier you can plant your pumpkin seeds (safely, obviously), the better.