If you plant a gourd or two, you might turn them into unique fall decor.
Brie Goldman
Differing in color, shape, and size, every gourd looks unique.
Easy to grow, gourds thrive in long, warm growing seasons and large spaces.
Credit:Brie Goldman
Dont have space for a large garden?
Plant gourds at the base of a fence panel and let them grow up the side of the structure.
Celebrate the bounty of autumn by bringing your favorite gourds indoors to use asfall decor.
Credit:Alison Barnes Martin
How and When to Plant Gourds
Gourds require a long, warm growing season.
Because gourd roots dont like to be disturbed, it is best to start the seeds in biodegradable pots.
Cover with a thin layer of soil so no part of the pot is exposed.
(Exposure would cause moisture loss.)
Space the seedlings at least 4 to 5 feet apart when using a trellis.
Without a trellis, space them 6 to 10 feet apart.
Sow seeds 12 to 1-inch deep and 1 foot apart.
As the seedlings emerge, thin them out according to the spacing instructions above.
Gourd Care Tips
Light
Like many vegetables, gourds grow best in full sun.
Credit: Edmund Barr
Plant them in an area where they will receive at least 8 hours of bright sunlight per day.
Temperature and Humidity
Gourds arefrost-sensitive plants.
They grow best in temperatures between 65 and 75F and dont do well in extreme heat.
Credit:Peter Krumhardt
During aheat wave, verify to give them extra water.
Continue curing the gourds until the interior dries, too.
This will take several weeks for ornamental gourds and up to six months for hard-shell gourds.
Discard any that begin to mold or rot.
Get creative with the rest inyour fall decor.
Harvest luffa gourds when the fruit is lightweight and seeds rattle inside.
After drying luffa gourds, cut off the stem ends and shake out the seeds.
Remove the skin and bleach the spongy flesh in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.
Rinse and dry before using as a bathing sponge.
Potting and Repotting Gourds
Gourds are notsuitable for containers.
Pests and Problems
Gourds can get various fungal diseases, including leaf spots and verticillium wilt.
The plants can also be affected byplant viruses, including cucumber mosaic virus.
They are often transmitted by insects such as the squash vine borer.
Pollination is crucial for gourds, so keeping a bee colony nearby will help their growth.
How to Propagate Gourds
Gourds are propagated from seeds.
you’re able to either start gourds indoors or plant them directly in the garden.
The long, cylindrical fruits grow on a vigorous vine.
The spongy, dried interior isused as a bath sponge.
After drying, cut it in half lengthwise to make a dipper.
Bottle Gourd
Lagenaria sicerariais also called birdhouse gourd because dried fruits may be made into birdhouses.
In its immature stage, it is eaten as a vegetable, which is known as calabash.
Soft-Shell Gourd
Peter Krumhardt
This ornamentalCucurbitaspecies may have smooth or warty skin.
They can be white, green, yellow, orange, or striped.
Dont cut all the male flowers off, you still need them for pollination.
No, gourds need insects such as bees for pollination.
Gourds are purely ornamental plants and not meant for eatingand neither are their seeds.
While eating them is possible,it is not recommended.
However, Luffa can produce up to 40 gourds per plant.
