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atash_gw

Pumpkin catastrophe--triploid seed?

atash
16 years ago

I am doing personal (not really scientific) research on survival gardening.

So far it is one catastrophe after another one. The latest disaster is what was supposed to have been a Syrian Hull-less type pumpkin for raising pumpkin seeds.

First of all, it didn't match the picture on the Johnny's Select Seeds website. It doesn't look that pumpkin like, but instead looks like a Kubocha squash like Asians grow.

The shock was when we opened it just now. It's been sitting outside a long time. Should be more than ripe.

* the seeds HAVE HULLS. The seed that the plant came from didn't, but they do.

* the seeds have NOTHING BUT HULLS. They are quite empty. Every last one of them is infertile.

I am wondering if I got taken to the cleaners! The seed came from China. It is BIG. Nice, big seeds. I am wondering if it is triploid and sterile?!

Anybody else try these? They were called "Kakai"

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=pumpkin&item=2860

Could something else be wrong? I can't imagine what. If they had been pollinated by another squash or pumpkin I would still have expected fertile seed.

One more clue...it was a bush type. Not "semi-bush", this had very short stems (and round leaves, very unpumpkin-like). I'm wondering if those are not a good idea for my northerly (47.5 degree N) latitude. The other disaster involved another bush type. However, the seeds having what sure look like me to be unripe hulls makes me think that the problem is with the variety.

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