Hi all - does anyone know of squash seeds can be saved from the squash for using next year - if so whats the best method - the variety i've grown is winter cobnut f1 if its any help. - oh and on a similar subject what about pepper seeds?
thanks in advance
neil
they cross very easily, and don't come true. Really not worth taking a chance.
If you're in luck, the bbc will have their free veg seed thing next year and you can get them for nothing (but I hope they don't - wasting all our license fee.....)
If you want to keep a strain going then
1: Don't use F1's unless you want to spend several years (and a lot of space iof it's squash) dehybridising. It can be fun but it's a big commitment.
2: In the UK avoid butternuts cos they're a lot harder to grow than quite a lot of other varieties.
3: Follow a strict system of hand pollination using unopened flowers and bagging/elastic bands to keep out stray crosses.
Same is true of peppers but I'd avoid the chillis apart from ones that crop well in our climate....
chrisc