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Tasmania Australia

Hi, i am planing to give growing some Bushel Gourds this coming season.
I realise this must be a basic question, but still struggling to get anything to germinate.
I was hoping someone here could help me out on the best way to get a good germination rate and how to go about preparing the seeds.
I have heard some say that you clip those two mickey mouse ears off, ( is this the root end or the leaf end of the seed?) Sorry for the basic question, i did get one to germinate but came up upside down, ( leaf end pointing into potty mix, root end up) never seen any seeds do this before.
How much do you sand the edges and also soak the seeds for?
These are basic questions i realize, but just really struggling to get anything to germinate.
If anyone has any photos of preparing the seeds in a diary it would also be greatly appreciated.
Cheers.

6/13/2018 8:58:49 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

I clip the ears off, they are the leaf end. I scrape the edges about the same amount as pumpkin seeds; until you get a good change in the color. I have never soaked them, but I don't think it would hurt. I lay them flat in the seed starting mix. The root will go down and the stem and leaves will pop up right. Bushel and long gourd seeds like it warmer than pumpkin seeds. I keep mine at 88 to 90 degrees. They can take longer to sprout, usually 5 days to a week.

6/13/2018 11:06:10 PM

Tasmania Australia

Thanks for the reply, appreciated.
I might just have some overly hard shells possibly then, the roots seam to find it hard to break through and the leaf end opens up easily.
Will keep experimenting.

6/14/2018 6:22:45 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

Some germinate easily within 4 days and some never germinate. I would never bid on a bushel gourd seed at an auction unless there was at least 6 seeds in a lot

6/14/2018 10:46:14 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Lots of heat in a fairly dry soil. I soak for a good 12 hours

6/15/2018 7:34:12 AM

Tasmania Australia

Could be part of my trouble is the soil then, i have it fairly moist, might try some in a drier soil mix and soak seeds for longer also.

6/15/2018 6:43:31 PM

Partlow,Va

Fairly moist soil is good.
Sand the edges, crack one ear off, soak em for a while but no more than two hours, at 88 degrees in 1/4" of fairly moist soil they should be moving in 3-5 days if the seed is any good.

6/15/2018 10:36:20 PM

Tasmania Australia

Interesting versions of soaking, i did think 12 hours might of been slightly on the long side.
With soaking for 2 hours, i am guessing water is at room temperature, that is what i usually do for pumpkin seeds anyway.
Only need to crack one ear of and not both?
Also just sand the edges as you would a pumpkin seed i am thinking? Shell dose seam to be way harder than pumpkin shell.
Cheers.

6/16/2018 11:55:30 PM

Partlow,Va

I use a tiny dixie cup of room temp water with a capful of hydrogen peroxide for 1/2 hour, drain and change to all water for another hour or so. Cracking one ear gets the middle plenty wet to get them started. I like to start cutting just the tip of an ear then twist the scissor so it cracks a small piece off and you aren't cutting all the way through and damaging the cot in there. Also the mis-shapen and twisted seeds have trouble getting the cots out and have damaged cots. I would try to use good shaped seeds with ears if you have the option. I used to soak seeds longer but I think it can lead to more problems than any benefit. I cook em at 88 and had eleven of twelve were up in five days this year.

6/17/2018 9:53:15 AM

Tasmania Australia

Cheers, got some spare ones to play with, so will give it another go and see how it works out for me.
Would actually be interesting to see if by cracking the ears of to expose the cot will let you actually slowly crack open the outer shell more to fully remove the cot and germinate it from there.
Bit more risky, but would speed up germination possibly.

6/18/2018 2:06:30 AM