How do gourds grow

It takes approximately four months for the gourds to dry. To keep the gourds from cracking and to ensure even drying, every gourd is picked up and individually turned by hand times during the drying season!

To give you an idea what this involved, it takes a crew of 6 men working all day for 5 weeks just to turn the crop one time! The gourds are brought in from the fields and piled in the gourd racks for customers to purchase. The gourds in racks under the oak trees -- not only protects them from the sun, but you as well while you are shopping for the perfect gourds! In addition to the gourd racks being filled in March when the new crop is harvested, they are also periodically filled throughout the year.

This helps guarantee a great selection of gourds for the majority of the year. Home Return to Home Page New? How Gourds are Grown. Gourd Growing Info and Timeline Did you know that it takes one full year to grow gourds? Gourds are planted after the previous year's crop has been harvested. Seeds germinate in days. These gourd plants are 4 weeks old. Here is a female flower with the small gourd fruit at the base.

If you want to grow gourds for ornamental purposes, then pick this variety, which is closely related to both pumpkins and squashes. They come in a range of interesting colors, shapes, and sizes. This type of gourd is the one you might think of when you see homemade gourd birdhouses. They are larger and harder shelled than the other varieties. You can even eat this kind of gourd before it reaches maturity.

Growing gourds is a simple process, but you need to make sure that you plan out your space, because if not, gourds will take over your yard. The seeds my mother-in-law brought, were planted without any plan. I, therefore, had to battle gourds growing randomly for the rest of my time at that house because gourds are hogs when it comes to space. Keep in mind that their vines can extend out 40 feet from the base of the plant. Gourds are similar to squash in that they prefer areas in the garden that have full sunlight available.

They need between frost-free days to mature. Gourds are heavy feeders, and they need soil that is rich and well-draining. It should have plenty of organic material, so make sure you add plenty of compost to the soil before you plant the seeds or seedlings.

These plants need abundant amounts of nutrients to keep them thriving and happy. In most cases, you should direct sow your seeds into the ground, but you can start the seeds inside if you need to give them an early start.

One way to avoid hurting their roots is by growing them in peat pots. With these pots, you can plant the entire pot and the material decomposes in the ground, so the roots can also work through the peat. Start the seeds weeks before you want to set them outside.

Keep them warm and moist to help the seeds germinate faster. It typically takes days for gourd seeds to germinate. Gourds are warm-weather crops, so you need to plant them in your garden after the danger of frost passes. Sow the seeds edge-down rather than flat. When you plant the seeds this way, the water can run down the sides of the sides and reduce the risk of rotting.

Sow the seeds inches deep in groups of 4 seeds. Each group should be 5 feet apart. Once the seeds sprout, thin the seedlings to 2 or 3 in a group. They need a few inches in between each seedling for proper growth. Once your gourds have sprouted, keep a watchful eye for leaves to develop. When they have, thin them down to one gourd for each spot by plucking the weaker plants. Using a trellis can also save you space. You can train the stems to grow up over wires or any framework. Squash bugs and squash vine borers can be serious pests.

Exclude them from young plantings with row covers. Some gourds such as luffas rarely fruit well in northern latitudes. Position Full sun. Frost tolerant Cannot tolerate frost. Squash plants need extra water during dry and hot periods.

They grow quickly and will train nicely on a trellis, fence or other tall supports. Large gourds are rarely bothered by insects and diseases. Small gourds can be susceptible to the same problems as cucumbers and pumpkins. Avoid planting in the same spot 2 years in a row to minimize the chance for disease.

Harvest small gourds as they begin to develop their full color and become hard to the touch. Many small gourds will dry and preserve.