Overview:

Although gourds have been grown and used for thousands of years, in modern times most cultures use gourds for their utilitarian and ornamental value, not as food. There are hard-shell gourds, like the birdhouse and bottle gourds and there are soft-shell gourds that look like squash gone wild. Both types are very ornamental fresh and can be dried and preserved indefinitely.

Latin Name:

Hard Skinned: [i[Lagenaria siceraria, Soft Skinned Cucurbita various

Zone & Exposure:

Annual. Full sun.

Size:

Varies widely with variety. Most have extensive vines. Hard skinned varieties tend to be larger and often have long, thin necks. Soft skinned gourds can be small enough to cup in your hand to larger than a pumpkin.

Days to Harvest:

Varies by variety. Generally 100 - 180 days

Description:

Hard skinned gourds tend to start out some shade of green, perhaps mottled with white. After drying or curing, they age to a tan or brown color. The soft skinned gourds are often multi-colored: orange, yellow, green, white and blue. They come in unpredictable shapes and often are covered in bumps and warts.

Pests & Diseases:

Gourds are susceptible to the same problems as other members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Insects include: aphids, cucumber beetle, squash bug and squash vine borer. Hand picking and using floating row covers early in the season help. Diseases such as angular leaf spot, bacterial wilt, mosaic virus and powdery mildew can be controlled with fungicides and crop rotation.

Remove plant debris in the fall and allow for air circulation between the plants, especially in wet or humid weather.

Harvesting:

Gourds are ready for harvesting when the stems dry out and turn brown. the gourds with a few inches of stem intact. Throw out any bruised or soiled gourds, since they will continue to decline after picking.

Ornamental gourds can be cured or dried after harvesting, to harden and preserve them for use as decorations and in crafts.

Suggested Varieties:

• Birdhouse Gourd - Traditionally used for making hanging bird houses. Rounded bowl with long neck.
• Bule - French heirloom (pronounced boo lay) that looks like an apple with warts. Dries well
• Gourd Mix - You can’t go wrong with a packet of assorted soft-sinned gourds. Heavy yield and gorgeous.

Gourds are a warm season crop and like winter squash, take the entire season to mature. Plant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Seeds planted in cold, wet soil will probably rot before germinating. You can get a head start by starting seeds indoors about 4 weeks earlier. Using peat pots will lessen transplant shock.

Gourds require full sun and well-drained soil with neutral a pH of about 6.5 - 6.8 The vigorous vines are heavy feeds and soil rich in organic matter will improve yield.

Plant gourds in a similar fashion to squash and pumpkins: in hills of 2 plants spaced 4 - 5 feet apart, with about 6 - 7 feet between rows of hills. Different varieties will have different growth habits, but most gourd fruits develop best if the plants are raised off the ground onto a trellis or support and the fruits are allowed to hang. They will grow cleaner, straighter and they won’t get that discolored spotting that occurs when the fruits touch the ground.

Maintenance: Gourds need consistent watering, especially once fruit has set. You can feed by side dressing with organic matter or a balanced fertilizer when the vines start to blossom. Gourd vines can be self mulching, but use caution when weeding, since gourds are shallow rooted.

As with other members of the Cucurbitaceae family, gourds can have trouble with pollination. If pollinators are not abundant in the area, you may have to pollinate by hand, by removing the male blossoms and dusting them onto the female blossoms. The female blossoms can be distinguished by the tiny immature fruit at the base of the flower. It is normal for there to be several male blossoms produced before you spot a female blossom. Hard skinned gourds bloom in the evening and at night. Soft skinned gourds bloom during the day.