•Styrian pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca): This heirloom pumpkin variety originates from Styria, located in Southeast Austria. It was developed in the late 1800s from a mutation that resulted in green (hulless) seeds. This makes the seeds easy to process and eat. You can even make pumpkin seed butter, pumpkin seed milk or tofu, or press the seeds into oil!
•Shipping: Shipped in a standard letter via USPS without tracking. Seed packet and envelope are made of 100% recycled paper. Plastic-free packaging!
•About Our Farm: While we are not certified organic, we do follow vegan organic (veganic) practices (no pesticides, no chemical fertilizers, and no domesticated animal inputs; just compost and love). All of our seeds are open-pollinated and were grown in Western North Carolina.
•Growing Instructions: Sow outdoors 2-5 weeks after you last frost date in the spring, spacing them 18-30” apart. If your growing season is short, consider starting them indoors 3 weeks prior to this. After sowing, keep the soil moist and they should germinate in 5-10 days. Plants will produce prolific vines all over the ground, making them a great groundcover and weed suppressor for tall plants, like corn. After successful pollination of its flowers, the average yield will be two pumpkins per plant. Harvest pumpkins when, or just before, the stems dry out and turn brown. Pumpkins will not tolerate freezing temperatures very well, so be sure to complete harvesting before your first frost in the fall. To harvest, cut the stem at least 3-4” from the pumpkin and bring into a sheltered area. Cure them for 5-7 days by leaving them on a sunny field or, if there’s a chance of frost, keeping them in a warm, sheltered area, such as a greenhouse or by a sunny window. They should be kept at 80-85 degrees F in an area with good air flow. After this curing period, you may carve into your pumpkins and scoop out the green seeds for eating and saving for replanting next year. For eating, rinse the seeds well and either air dry or dehydrate for raw seeds or roast in the oven. For seed saving, rinse the seeds well and let dry completely on a screen or flat surface with ample ventilation (away from hungry critters!)