I’m fascinated with the genetic variation in what I’ve seen advertised as “Seminole Pumpkins.” The one on the left above was given to me by Alex Ojeda; the one on the left is the type I’ve been growing for a few years from seeds of an unknown pedigree (I think they may have been from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange).
The size is a big selling point for me: I don’t like dealing with a lot of little fruit when I can grow a lot of big fruit instead. That said, I would have to grow both varieties side by side in order to see if they have differences in their vigor and productivity.
There are also supposed to be green types – and my friend Mart Hale has a spotted variety with large fruit.
I’m planting a ton of different strains together, mixed with long-neck calabazas and other C. moschata pumpkins from the tropics. We’re going to just forgo all the silliness of guessing breeding and breed a HUGE SCARY FLORIDA APOCALYPSE PUMPKIN!!!
Until then, here’s a little video I just created comparing these two types of Seminole pumpkins:
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7 comments
ok… gonna try again… I posted this morning but nada
My wife and I have been growing Seminole pumpkins for awhile… they are great… but ours are not as big as yours… definite Seminole pumpkin envy… do you sell any seeds? thanks again for your site.. it is a wonderful way to start every morning with something positive, funny, and informative… love the video of your visit to the radio station… Keith
I don't sell seeds but I'll happily mail you some.
Thank you for the kind words – I love doing what I do. This site is really fun to create.
Great article, BUUuuuttt! where do i store these things?? I have upwards of 10 pumpkins maturing nicely, on one or two vines, and more to come!! I can't tell how many plants there are, the vines are everywhere. If the plant(s) continue throughout the summer, i will need a storage unit :) And the vines have taken over the forest, invasion of the pumpkins!! I am currently directing them to climb the nearest tree. :) Curtiss
What a great problem to have.
We have a simple cinderblock and pine board shelf in our dining room (it actually looks a lot nicer than you might think – Bauhaus meets redneck) and we fill it with pumpkins. They also get tucked randomly onto bookcases, corners of the kitchen, etc., as they come in. They keep for ridiculously long periods.
There are some good photos of the Seminole pumpkins I got two years ago. They were mostly mottled orange but I also had some all orange (like cheese pumpkins) and some that were green with orange mottling.
http://www.greenbasket.me/2013/08/28/first-pumpkin-harvest/
Wow… different yet again.
David, the pumpkin you featured a few videos back that looked like a cross between your Seminole variety and C. Moschata, you know the ones that looked like big gourds that stand up straight? Is it possible I could buy some seed from you for that cross? I have been having trouble trying to obtain C. Moschata with out winning a pricey auction on Ebay and not having to cross them to end up with what you already created would save me time. I would be glad to pay postage as well as for your time. Let me know. Fred & Anna Tice in Evesham, UK.
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