Questions about gourds...

[Michael Lusk]

I'm growing birdhouse gourds for the first time and would appreciate any advice on growing the plants. I started them out indoors due to our relatively short growing season and transplanted them a few weeks ago and so far they appear to be doing reasonably well.

When I planted them, I trained the vine up a wire framework (pics attached) with the thought of expanding / supporting the plants along a fence. But, I noticed yesterday that main stem of the plants is still relatively thin (think pencil). Would it make sense to leave some of the vines on the ground...would they root in and provide more nourishment for the plant?

Any advice would be very welcome!

 

[Collector]

We grow BH goards and others also. We train the main vine to climb trellis. Last year a vine grew up then down the trellis onto the ground, it did grow roots in one spot. I don’t think it helped the plant in any way though. They do have thin vines, but they are very strong. DW has made slings for some of the goards if she thinks they will kink or break their stems hanging from trellis, I think it not necessary though. Your goards are bigger than ours at this time so they should blossom in the next few weeks how exciting. We let ours grow until frost kills them then pick.

 

[Michael Lusk]

Thanks for the information, the skinny vine unnerved me a little...

 

[Ridgerunner]

You should have a long enough season in southern Indiana. It's people like @seedcorn in the frozen north that might have issues. Are you staying cool, Seed?

I grew them in Arkansas against the side of a 12' high shed. I used 2x4's nailed to the shed and attached wire to them. That held the wire off the shed enough for the vines to hold onto the wire like yours is doing. Those vines grew to the top of that shed and then ran several feet over the shed roof. Some ran on the ground like watermelon vines, running a long way and making it impossible to mow. I trained some branches of the vine to go up the support but I also pruned some to keep them under control. Those were vigorous vines. Don't worry about the vines being thin, that's normal.

Let the gourds dry on the vine as much as you can. The walls will be thicker if they get mature.

 

[digitS']

And, there was the problem I had with them.

I have grown some edible gourds. The birdhouses looked as though they didn't require a very long season.

Maturing ... The gourds looked right but mine had very thin walls, fragile. Were yours sturdy enough for crafts, @Collector ?

Steve

 

[Collector]

@digitS' I let them grow until frost kills the plant, then snip them off and put them in a large old fishing net hanging in the carport. The bird house goards seem ok but I grew Corsican goards and wind blew the net down this spring and one of the corsicans broke on the ground and was quite thin walled. This year I am even later getting them going than usual so we will see. Not growing Corsican this year though, just regular BH and trying out Martin house goards to see if they mature faster since they are smaller.

 

[seedcorn]

@Ridgerunner yes, we are unthawing nicely in the 80’s. Growing gourds @Indy should not be a problem. We grow them here and we get several degree days less than you.

 

[thistlebloom]

...yes, we are unthawing nicely...

So does that mean you're beginning to freeze already? Yikes.

@Collector , do you start your gourds inside early?