Gourds

General Information:
Gourds are the only crop we grow for fun. My bride is an avid craft decorator. Gourds afford her the unusual sizes and shapes for her imagination to soar. These members of the cucumber, melon, and squash family are grown for their decorative and utilitarian qualities rather than for their edible ones. Gourds can be decorated by painting carving or applying appliqués to there surface. The variety of sizes and shapes make the possibilities endless. Building birdhouses with gourds has grown very popular in recent years. Purple martins are the prize residents of most birdhouses built. Although hard-shell gourds come in many different sizes and shapes it is not recommended to grow more than one type per season if you plan to collect seeds for later use or trading with others. Cross pollination will make it impossible to know what you will produce the following season. If more than one variety is grown at a  time separate them by at least ¼ mile. When planting gourds avoid following Cucumbers, Squash or Melons. (See our Crop Rotation page) Gourds require a long growing season so start your seeds as early as possible. The time required to grow and cure hard-shell gourds is about 8 months.

Seed Starting:
A great Gourd crop begins with large vigorous healthy seedlings 4 to 6 weeks old, grown in 4" or larger growing pots. Growing your own seedlings insure quality and varieties not commercially available. Gourd seedling are seldom found commercially. The seeds should be started about 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date in your zone, or your planned transplant date. Make sure the seed starting mix is a light sterile soil mix with a liberal portion of Perlite or Vermiculite to maintain moisture.  Before planting the gourd seeds take a fingernail file and lightly nick the pointed end of the seeds. This procedure will produce better germination ratios. Gourd seed are sometime very hard to germinate without using this procedure. Sow 3 seeds per 4"pot about ¾" to 1" deep in pre-moistened growing mix. I always plant twice and as many seedlings as I will need. The extras are sold to offset the cost of growing my seedlings and give some away to friends. During the day, keep the seedling  next to a sunny window after they have germinated. Move to top of the water heater or refrigerator at night if you do not have a greenhouse. A heated greenhouse will produce ideal, controllable growing conditions. I also use supplemental overhead florescent lighting. Here in Southeast Texas our winter days are too short to produce healthy plants. Never allow your lights to burn more than 16 hours per day. A cheap electrical timer is the key to success here. Seedlings must be allowed to have a period of rest from light to grow properly. Hang your lights 1½ inches above the tops of the seedlings. This will prevent the seedling from becoming leggy. Raise the lights suspended by a chain as the plants grow. Do not allow the soil to dry out.  I feed my newly emerged seedling every other watering cycle. I prefer feeding my young seedlings with Fish Emulsion or liquid seaweed.  After they have grown to 3" I use a fertilizer high in phosphorus like Scotts Peters Professional 9-45-15 plant starter item #91140. Call 1-800-492-8255 for a dealer near you. Two weeks after seedlings have emerged clip of at the soil line the smallest of the 3 seedlings with scissors. Seeds can also be started by directly sowing into your prepared wide row beds. Plant 4 seed ¾" to 1" deep and water gently. Two weeks after seedling have emerged thin the seedlings to 2 seedling per hill. Clip the smallest 2 of the 4 at ground level with scissors.

Soil Preparation:
For best results incorporate Liberal amounts of compost or well rotted manure deeply dug into the soil.  Beware of fresh manure as it may contain seeds, & high concentrations of urine & salts.  Since Gourds are  shallow rooted plant it is very sensitive to moisture fluctuations.   Without adequate moisture the shallow roots  cannot deliver the require nutrients to produce properly.  Rake to break up & remove debris from the soil. Work the soil only when it is dry enough not to stick to garden tools.  Form a 36" wide bed the length of your choice. Using a garden hoe form a shallow trench in the center of the 36" wide bed about 4" deep. Do not allow the trench between the 2 rows too extend beyond the end of the beds as this trench will hold water later.  The 2 rows in the 36" wide bed should be about 12" to 16" apart. I always amend my soil with Diazinon  granules  at the rate or 1 cup per 100 square foot of bed. Work the crystal 3" deep into the 36" wide beds. This insecticide will minimize vine borers from attacking your vines.

Fertilization:
Perform a complete soil analysis to determine fertilization needs.  Soil sample kits including sample bag and instructions can be  obtained from your local county  Agricultural extension service office free of charge. However, the fee  for the actual soil analysis is usually about $15.00.

Gourds need very fertile soil to produce well. It is best to add additional aged cow manure to each planting hill.  Dig a hole about 12" deep and 12" in diameter 12" to 16" apart.  Half fill the holes with aged cow manure and mix with soil removed from the hole creating a small hill. Also Place two tablespoons of 13-13-13 balanced fertilizer in the trench between hills at planting time, again at first sign of blooms and when you gourds are about 3" in diameter. When you water your plants in the trench the fertilizer will constantly feed your hungry plants.

Hardening Off:
It will be necessary to harden off your seedlings before transplanting into the garden bed. The seedling must become accustomed to the harsher elements outdoors. This is accomplished by placing the seedling outside to a sheltered location. At this point the seedlings are very tender and easily broken by wind and rain. Start out by placing the seedling in full morning sunlight for one hour. Increase the time in full sunlight gradually adding time each day. Protect your seedlings from wind and animals to prevent breakage of the tender vegetation. Within two weeks your plants should be able to stand full sunlight the entire day without wilting or burning the tender leaves. At this point your seedlings are ready for the harsh elements of the garden.

Planting & Growing:
Transplant potted seedling or direct sow seed after all danger of frost has passed in the  previously prepared 36" wide beds 12" to 16" apart.  Plants can be set slightly deeper  when transplanting.  Avoid disturbing the roots as much as possible as they are very fragile. Water the plants well during transplanting  using about 1 pint of starter solution on each transplant, or use commercially prepared starter solution according to manufacturer's instructions.  This can be a weak solution of  20-20-20  general plant food or commercially available root stimulator. This will encourage rapid root growth & produce fruit of acceptable quality. Gourds grow very rapidly once set out into the beds.  Gourds can be allow to simply vine on the soil or climb up a sturdy trellis. If you plan to allow your gourds to grow on a trellis it should be constructed at this time. Gourd produce very heavy fruit and require a sturdy support if trellised. I prefer constructing my trellis with bamboo cane in A frame configuration. 1" x 1" wooden slats can be substituted for the Bamboo if unavailable. Start constructing by driving metal T post in the trench of the 36" wide beds. Tie a horizontal support on top of the T posts. This can simply be a length of heavy metal wire stretched between the T-posts. Lean the bamboo or 1" wooden strips against the horizontal support at an angle between the rows tied to the support at the top. Then place additional horizontal bamboo or wooden strips perpendicular to the verticals and tie them 1foot apart all the way to the top. This trellis design will allow the gourds to hang freely without damaging the surfaces of the fruit. After constructing the trellis cover the entire  36" wide bed including the trench between the rows with leaves or straw mulch. The mulch will retain moisture, attract worms, and reduce the growth of weeds in the beds. Any weeds that do germinate are easily removed by hand or light cultivation. When it is time to water your plants simply apply a moderate amount of water into the trench between the row you formed earlier.  Do not apply water to quickly as you may wash out  soil holding the water. The water will slowly soak deeply onto the root zone.  Using this method your plants will always have adequate moisture to perform well.  It is of great importance that the soil be kept moist and weed free. If you live in the northern states with short growing seasons you can get an early start by buying or constructing a cold frame. frames can be as crude as bails of hay or straw formed into a shallow box covered with a storm door or plastic. The heat from the earth should keep them from freezing if the box is sealed properly.

Care during the growing season:
It may be necessary to train the vines to climb onto the trellis when they first start growing  vines. Simply rap the vines on the trellis counter clock wise going up and temporarily tying lightly with a twist ties. The tendrils will soon fasten themselves securely. Remove the twist ties later to prevent cutting or choking the vines. If your intent is to grow large bottle gourds for Martin houses some pruning will insure larger gourds. The first vine to appear is straight and will grow the male flowers. The laterals produce the female flowers producing gourds.  The female flowers can be identified buy presence a small bulb directly below the bloom.  When the male vine reaches 10 feet long  prune the end to encourage lateral growth. When the laterals form 2 or more small gourds prune the end of the lateral 12" from the 2 nd gourd. It is best to start at the end of the lateral and work back to the gourds. This will prevent your from accidentally pruning in the wrong place killing more gourds than you intended. When the vine start growing vigorously it is very difficult to follow the vines for pruning so do it early. The fewer gourds on a vine the bigger the gourd will get. If you grow on the ground apposed to a trellis be sure to place straw or hay beneath the gourds to prevent scaring or rotting of the skin. If you plant 12 gourds and produce only 2 gourds per plat you will have 24 gourds. 24 gourds is a lot of gourds to process or decorate. I allow a maximum of 4 gourds per plant. As new flowers appear simply pinch them off. If your vines do not produce small gourds within a reasonable time you may have to pollinate them by hand. Gourds bloom at night and usually are pollinated by moths. Simply pinch off a open male bloom and strip off the petals and hand pollinate the female blooms.

50% Sevin wp (wetable powder) seems to be very effective. Be careful using insecticides as you may kill your pollinators as well. If you kill your pollinators, you won't have any gourds. Spray only the lower stems to kill vine borers. Mix 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. The severity of insect attack is much greater in late crops. It is suggested that the control program start early (emerging seedlings) and continued on a regular basis.  Consult your local county extension  service office for diagnosis and recommended treatment.

Harvesting:
Gourds are harvested only after the vines shrivel and have turned brown. The actual gourd may still be somewhat green but is no longer receiving any nutrients from the soil. Cut the vine several inches from the gourd and store in a dry cool environment. I usually leave my gourds attached to the vines until the vines are completely brown or until the first frost, unless we have a unusually wet fall. The gourds will turn brown and form a coating which must be removed by hand.

 

Storage:
I store my finished gourds in a box inside my house. The dry conditions inside cure the gourds rapidly. When the seeds inside rattle the gourds can be cleaned, drilled, cut, carved and decorated.