Tours, Heirloom Pumpkin Seeds

Tours, Heirloom Pumpkin Seeds — The 1856 French Field Pumpkin With Distinctive Large Oil Seeds

Named for its place of origin and listed by Vilmorin as early as 1856, Tours Pumpkin (Citrouille de Touraine) is a historic French field pumpkin with a character unlike any other. Tall, upright-shaped dark green fruits with light yellow-orange stripes running from top to bottom grow 10–14 inches in diameter and 12–18 inches tall, with a contrasting light green stem that is hard and firmly attached. Large-fruited at 17 pounds, Tours is distinguished by its exceptionally large oil seeds with wide margins — once used in the manufacture of sugar-coated pills and as a remedy for tapeworm. Great for fall displays, carving, and seed harvesting. 90–100 days.

Why Grow Tours?

• 1856 French heirloom — listed by Vilmorin, a genuine piece of horticultural history
• Distinctive dark green skin with yellow-orange stripes — tall, upright, and striking
• 17-pound fruits — 10–14 inches diameter, 12–18 inches tall
• Exceptionally large oil seeds — historically significant, great for harvesting
• Great for displays and carving — ornamental and edible
• Open-pollinated — save seed year after year

Growing Notes

Prepare beds with compost or aged manure. Direct sow after last frost in hills or rows. Space plants 36 inches apart in rows 6 feet apart. Keep weeded and watered. Harvest at maturity when skin transitions from green to striped orange-green, or just after first frost. To save seeds: cut open, scoop seeds onto a screen, work free of pulp by hand, spread on paper plates to dry, stirring several times daily until fully dry. Store in paper bags.

Days to maturity: 90–100 days
Packet size: ~12+ seeds
Type: Heirloom, Open-Pollinated, Winter Squash/Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo)
Fruit weight: ~17 pounds
Spacing: 36 inches in rows 6 feet apart
Sun: Full sun
USDA Zones: 3–12