Planting seeds from store-bought vegetables is a cost-effective idea for all house gardeners. If you are one of them, you might also think about planting some ingrown vegetable seeds or roots or even a frozen seed out of your kitchen.

Once I was also fascinated about planting some squash seeds in my house garden. But the biggest question mark scrolled in my mind was, ‘can I plant seeds from store-bought squash’?

And the answer came out was Yes. You can plant seeds from store-bought squash and they will come out in a fruitful successor. But there are some important facts that you have to keep in mind.

You might also face some problems during the planting process. So, it’s important to how to deal with that. Let’s know all those facts in detail!

Everything You Need to Know Planting Seeds from Store-Bought Squash

Is It Good to Plant Store-Bought Squash Seeds?

As you know, squash seeds grow inside the vegetable so it’s possible to screen out the seeds and plant them. Planting seeds from grocery-bought squash is one thing, but growing a full bunch of squashes from those seeds is quite another.

Here germinating and producing from squash seeds is the real challenge (not like a frozen pepper seeds though). It mostly depends on the squash you want to plant. Like you want to grow a winter squash or a summer ground. Well, planting butternut will be a great idea!

However, if you think of producing delicious squashes from your store-bought veggies, then get ready to face some unwanted farming problems.

Problems in Farming Store-Bought Seeds

The first major problem you will face is cross-pollinating. If you don’t have plants from Cucurbita pepo species, then pollination is quite difficult here. Though the problems are less in pollinating winter squash, such as butternuts than with summer squash and gourds.

As butternut, Hubbard, and Turks Turban are all members of the same C. maxima family, they often interbreed with each other and result in good winter squash.

After that, how the squash has been previously fertilized is also an important aspect as the vegetable producers never think of reproducing seeds. So, they mostly mix different seeds together to get some super squash with superior qualities.

These squashes are known as hybrid veggies. If you want to plant seeds from such hybrid squashes the end result may come up as an unknown quality of veggie that doesn’t resemble the original one.

However, if you are ready to get some extraordinary squash breeds then definitely go for the experiment. But if you want some original squash bites then buying seed from the market is a better option.

So, the afterward says, planting store-bought seeds depends on how adventurous you are and how much space you have to do some non-potential experiment. After all, gardening is all about experimenting and producing new varieties of vegetables.

Even if the result may come as subpar, you should definitely try some hybrid production. Results may be either a mind-blowing success or an absolute failure. Though every failure will teach you something new every time.

How To Plant A Store-Bought Squash?

Before planting a store-bought squash, you have to know what type of squash you want to plant. For each type of squash, the planting process is different. So first let’s discuss the different types of squashes.

Summer Squashes like the zucchini or chayote squashes grow quickly in about 60 days. They are harvested all over the summer and their skin remains thin and tender.

Winter Squashes grow more slowly than summer ones. They take almost 80 to 110 days to grow and often mature in a rich color before harvest. Plus, their skins come in thicker layers and are more protective of the inner nutrients.

For the thick layers, storing this winter squashes last long storage like onions. And if you want to harvest these long-lasting squashes then pumpkin, Hubbard, and butternut will be some great options.

Which Type of Squash to Grow?

This depends on your personal taste. The varieties of squashes you want to grow in your tiny garden should depend on their uses.

For delicious veggie recipes, plant some sweet pumpkins or zucchinis that you can use for cooking. But if you want a Halloween pumpkin, then plant a giant one!

Tips on Planting and Growing Store-Bought Squash

1. Collect Seeds

For planting a store-bought squash, first, let the squashes ripen until it’s almost but not fully rotten. After ripening the squashes, separate the seeds from the flesh and allow them to dry in the sunlight.

2. Preparing The Soil

Then plant the dried seeds, into warmed soil as both warm and winter squash plants grow in warm weather. At least the soil temperature has to be 600F (160C) before preparing for planting.

Ensure the seeds don’t rot before sprouting and choose the largest seeds for getting more mature plants. And remember, the squash plants like to spread out in lots of space.

So, you will need a bunch of space for your squash gardening. Now the space will be depending on the variety of plants.

Like the bushes will require 4 to 6 feet of row space and 15 to 20 inches between each plant. While for vining types, the row space will be 6 to 12 feet whereas the plants will have 12 to 15 inches between them.

3. Planting the Seeds

Coming to the plantation, remember to burrow 3 to 6 seeds in a cluster. (Soaking the seeds overnight is optional) Once the seeds grow into sprouts, cut out the weak ones and keep the strongest.

Wait for the sprouts to have their first set of true leaves, and mulch the soils (like strawberry) to retain moisture. Keep the mulch a few inches far from the plants to discourage stem rot.

Now the rest depends on your regular care for the plants. For that, you must ensure plants get proper sunlight, at least 6 hours a day. But if the weather gets too hot the plants can droop with stress.

For soil, ensure the pH balance has to be between 6 to 6.8. According to the University of Massachusetts Centre for Agriculture, squash can tolerate a soil pH as low as 5.5, so don’t worry about liming unless your soil is strongly acidic.

4. Fertilizing

Lastly for fertilizing, top the fertilizer with 2 to 3 inches of soil. As the squashes are heavy feeders thus organic fertilizers i.e citrus one will be more beneficial for your plants. And also remember to water the squash plants once a week.

FAQs on Planting Store-Bought Squash Seeds

How many squashes will one plant produce?

In general, each squash plant produces up to 25 pounds of yellow squash during the growing season. The squash harvest period lasts for several weeks, commercially. But in a home garden, the squash should be picked throughout the summer.

What month do you plant squash?

Spring will be the best time for planting squash. In spring the temperature stays near 70° which is perfect for squash plants.

Are roasted squash seeds good for you?

Yes, roasted seeds make wonderful crispy snacks with lots of nutrients like- omega 3 fatty acids, proteins, beta-carotene, and vitamin C. Even you can store these toasted seeds for weeks or more in your refrigerator like the compost tea storing.

How do you know if a squash seed is viable?

Soak the squash seeds into a container full of water. Let the seeds there for 15 minutes. If the seeds float, they are viable to eat. But if they sink down, discard them as they won’t sprout.

Do you eat the seeds in squash?

Yes, squash seeds are edible and have the same nutritious value as squash. They have a tasty nutty flavor and you can spice them up with little salt or roast them.  You can have the butternut squash, acorn squash, and spaghetti squash.

So, Can I Plant Seeds from Store-Bought Squash?

In the wrap-up, we can say planting a store-bought squash seed is a great idea to experiment with. If you are ready to explore the possible outcomes from a hybrid squash seed, then the coming summer will be the best time.

And if you are still stuck on the question ‘can I plant seeds from store-bought squash’, don’t think more. Just enjoy the experiments in your tiny garden.