GOURDS are the best!

Growing and Drying Gourds



Gourds are an interesting crop to grow in your garden. The

plants need no special pampering and the gourds are decorative

on their own or in craft projects.



There are two types of gourds. The small, oddly-shaped

colorful gourds often seen in Autumn decorations are soft- skinned varieties of the Cucurbita family. These little gourds

can be dried and saved, although their bright colors tend to

fade over time.



The larger, hard-skinned gourds are in the Lagenaria family.

These include Birdhouse and Bottle gourds, among others.

Lagenaria gourds are green on the vine and become tan or brown

as they dry. Lagenaria gourd vines produce white blossoms

which bloom at night.



It's very easy to grow gourds, making them a good choice for

beginner gardeners. Gourds prefer well-drained soil and they

grow vigorously if compost is added to the soil when planting.

Like other vining plants, gourds will appreciate a fence or

other vertical surface to climb, but they'll happily sprawl on

the ground as well.



Gourds that are to be dried should be harvested very late in

the season, after the vines have died back. Gently wash the

gourds to remove any caked soil, then dip them into a solution

of 1-2 cups of bleach in a 5-gallon bucket of water. Handle the

gourds carefully to avoid bruising them. Place washed gourds in

an area where they will receive good air circulation. Some

folks hang their gourds with a string attached to the stem. The

drying gourds can be kept outdoors; rain or freezing

temperatures won't hurt mature gourds.



Check your drying gourds each week and discard any that have

soft spots. No matter how careful you are with your gourds,

some of them are going to rot. While they are drying and curing,

gourds may also develop mold on their skins. The presence of

mold indicates that moisture is escaping through the skin, which

is a good thing. Unless the gourd is soft and mushy, the mold is

not harmful and will leave a lovely pattern on the dried gourd.



It can take up to 6 months to completely dry gourds. When the

gourds become lightweight and hard and the seeds rattle inside,

they are ready for use.



I've dried gourds indoors, and in a well-ventilated and unheated

barn, and left them on the vine all winter where they were

covered with snow for months. Those that dried the best for me

were the gourds that laid neglected in the garden all winter.

It doesn't get any easier than that.