can i plant seeds out of a butternut squash?

[phoebebouffet]

in the hope of growing some more BNSQ, or does it not work like that?

[snorkle]

You can try. Lots of BNSQ are F1 hybrids though which means that the plants you grow will not be quite the same as the parent plants and so may or may not have the same quality of fruit. F1 hybrids have two different parent plants selected for different qualities so the next generation seeds won't be quite the same.

Oh, and also squash plants that you are saving seeds from have to be very carefully hand polinated to ensure that what you are growing actually has two parent plants that are squashes - they will cross polinate with other cucubits (courgettes, pumpkins etc) otherwise, so you could find you are growing a BNSQ-courgette cross if you're unlucky. But if it was grown in a field with a whole load of other squash plants all the same you should be fairly safe (but still will have the f1 problem).

[mankymummy]

also it may have a terminator gene or have been sprayed with a suppressant that may prevent germination.

fun to try though...

if you seriously want A1 squashes I'd buy a packet of seeds from the garden centre. They seem expensive (maybe 2.25 for 10 seeds) but you'll get five or six squashes per seed if you keep them fed and watered.

[snorkle]

You can probably get a packet much more cheaply from Lidl or somewhere. Should still produce good squash plants. And, if you keep the seeds you don't use in a sealed container in the fridge they will still be viable next year.

[phoebebouffet]

thanks every one, nice day out at the garden centre tomorow then thanks!