All About Gourds and Growing Them

ByMartha Bloom

Cucurbitaceae – squash, melon, pumpkin, zucchini,

cucumbers and

GOURDSCucurbitapepo - Ornamental

Lagenaria - Hardshell

Ornamental Gourds

• Small – variety of shapes, colors and surfaces

• Easy to grow

• Yellow blossoms open during daytime hours

• Thin shelled

• Male and female blossoms

• Heavy feeders

Ornamental Gourds

• Harvest when stem appears brown

• Frost ruins colors

• Varnish or polish to enhance colors

• May mold or rot easily

• Leave on vine to let dry naturally if you want to use in crafting

• Will lose colors when skin is cleaned off

Hardshell Gourds

• No dramatic colors• Sizes range from small to very large• Harder to grow than ornamentals• Longer growing season• Shell thicker and harder than ornamentals• Varieties can be named for their shapes• Male and female flowers on same plant• White blossoms at night

Hardshell Gourds

• Pollination by moths or hand pollination

• Flowers last one day

• First vine has only male flowers

• Lateral vines have female flowers

• Heavy feeders

• Need lots of room

• Don’t harvest until vine totally dried

Growing – Getting started

• Long season – start indoors• Pre-sprout or start in individual pots• Germination temp - 70°- 85° 2 weeks in

ground• Pre-sprout – easier to control success• Plenty of light after emergence from soil• Plant outside when soil warm

Growing - Outside

• Need plenty of room

• Optimum – 7- 8’ spaced rows, plants spaced 2 – 5’ apart (single space or hills)

• Sandy, fertile soil – add composted manure (chicken great), bone meal, commercial fertilizer

• High nitrogen before fruit set, low nitrogen after fruit set

Growing

• Most growing in first month underground

• Trellis (sturdy)

• Let first vine grow to 10’, then pinch

• Laterals produce gourds

• Flowers last one day

• Solar lights in bed to attract moths

Pollination

•Side and top view of female gourd flower.

Pollination

• Female flower - Male flower• Hand pollinate using paint brush or

removing male and place over female. Tap pollen onto center. Before dew fall.

Young Gourd Plants

• Gourds should be started in individual containers not flats. Roots don’t like to be disturbed when transplanting.

Large Transplants

Gourd Plant

Hardshell gourd plants

Hardshell gourd plants

Ornamental gourd plants

Harvesting

• Harvest when entire vine has dried and turned brown

• Cut gourd from vine leaving long stem attached

• Store outdoors, off ground until dry

• Can take several months to a year

• Gourds to be used for seeds should not freeze

Curing, Storage and Crafting

• Mold will form on gourd shell during drying• Green cleaning speeds drying• Store dry gourds out of sunlight in low

humidity• Dryer sheets to deter rodents• Clean by soaking in water and scrub with

copper scrubber• Do not sand off mold• Think of as a wood product when crafting

Trouble makers

• Insects – cucumber beetles, squash bugs,

squash vine borer

• Diseases – Powdery Mildew – Occurs late in season and doesn’t affect production

• Frost– Leaves can’t tolerate frost but it won’t hurt gourds (hardshell) if they are mature

Cucumber Beetle

• Chew on leaves, flowers and fruit

• Carry diseases - Bacterial wilt disease ,

cucumber mosaic virus

• They will find your plants the minute you set them out. Be ready with insecticide

Cucumber Beetle

Squash Bug

• Both nymphs and adults suck sap from the leaves and stems

• Inject toxic substance into the plant causing a wilting known as Anasa wilt

Eggs of squash bug

Young squash bugs

Mature squash bugs

Squash Vine Borer

• Late June early July• Lay eggs at base of

plant• Larvae bores into

stems• Feed for 4 – 6 weeks• Vines wilt

Deer damage

For more information on gourd growing and crafting visit

http://MarthasGourds.com