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Is your Jack O Lantern looking a little worse for wear? Make the most out of your carved pumpkin by saving the seeds and prepping them for a never-ending supply. It’s much easier than you think and can save you money in the long run
Make the most out of your spooky pumpkin – instead of letting it rot on your front door step.
A whopping 18,000 tonnes of carved out pumpkins are thrown away every year, after Brits ditch their love of Halloween to focus on bonfire night and, more importantly, Christmas. While the orange veg might seem like nothing but rubbish after a few days of scaring trick or treaters, throwing pumpkins into landfill can contribute to harmful greenhouse gases being emitted.
Luckily, there is an easy way to revive the popular food for next year – and it could even end up saving you a couple of quid in the long run. So, grab your jack-O-lanterns from the porch and let’s get to it… Pumpkins seeds shouldn’t been sowed until Spring, or early summer, when the soil has warmed up. But, you can prep your pumpkin seeds now from the one you were going to throw out. Experts over at Gardening Know How suggests laying out the seeds in a single layer on a windowsill and allowing them to dry out for a few weeks. Make sure you turn them over for the first few days to help the moisture escape.
“Once they are dry, package the seeds in paper envelopes then date and label them,” the pros added. “Store seeds in a cool dry area for up to a year. Or you can store pumpkin seeds in a sealed plastic bag and store them in the refrigerator. Properly stored pumpkin seeds may remain viable for up to four years.” To prevent risk of frost killing the plant, it is best to grow the seeds inside until the weather warms up. Seeds should be soaked in water overnight to speed up germination, then planted as duos into 8cm pots filled with peat-free compost.
According to Gardeners’ World, seeds should be placed on their sides and not flat to prevent water stagnating on top of them and causing them to rot. “Place pots on a warm, light windowsill and water well,” the publication states. “When the seedlings grow, remove the weaker one so the strongest has plenty of room to develop.”
In late May/ early June you can move the plants outside and pot into their final growing position. You’ll need a sheltered but sunny spot and each pumpkin should be placed at least 90cm apart. Cover the surrounding soil with a mulch of garden compost to keep it nice and moist; and cover to protect the veg from slugs and snails.
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