Saving Gourd Seeds

Would you like to try growing some gourds from the seeds you removed from a gourd while crafting? Some points to ponder.
* Was the gourd even worth it? By that I mean, was it a nice strong, thick gourd. If not, chances are the genetics might not be worth wasting time. Time is a big commodity with gourd growing. Do you want to possibly wast a whole year growing a gourd that wouldn't be worth much in the end?
*If it was a gourd you grew, what it dry before it was left to freeze? Maybe you live in a zone that doesn't freeze. That wouldn't be a concern then. Freezing the gourds before the seeds dry will cause poor germination.
You still want to try. Then you would probably be wise to check the germination percentage with the paper towel method of germinating seeds.

Germinating Seeds

My best luck with seed germination came from seed I took out of the Welburn gourds I cut open. Some of them germinated practically overnight with my germination process.
It is about time now to start growing gourds. Some warmer areas of the country can direct seed into the soil but us in colder areas will have to give our gourds a jumpstart indoors. Even if you do direct seed outside, you can still pre-germinate indoors and then place them gently in the ground.

Save seeds you aren't planting in airtight containers and keep in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them fresh.

Great gourd crop this year!

After a few very disappointing years trying to grow a good crop of gourds, I finally had an exciting and very successful year. The thought of giving up was starting to weigh heavily on my mind but I had been blessed with wonderful gourds before and just had a feeling I could again.

What made this year any different?

The ingredient that I believe to be one of, if not the most important aspect to a good gourd crop is using manure to build up your soil.

Years ago when I grew my gourd crops, I had used rabbit manure around the plants and always had good gourds. Later, when I no longer had a rabbit, I started using commercial, granular fertilizer and then my crops turned to failures. Even though the plants grew fast and started producing, they soon died from some disease. Sometimes they even struggled to grow before they eventually died. I tried moving my gourd plots to other areas that hadn't grown gourds before but that didn't help.

The other factor that made this such a great year was keeping the cucumber beetles away. As soon as I noticed any of those buggers, the plants were dusted with Sevin. That was when the plants were small. Once they took off and started flowering, I quit dusting. It actually only took a few applications.

The manure I used was a mix of cow, chicken, and rabbit. Normally I would have worked it into the soil and then put in the plants. I can't take a risk on slow seed germination in cool soil so I get the plants started early.
See how I start my gourds here:
I already had the plants in the ground and then was able to get the manure, so I just side dressed with it. Worked great! I got large green leaves on fast growing vines with lots of flowers. I ended up with 115 nice sized gourds and probably would have had more but the deer were trimming some vines.

As a comparison, I grew gourds in another location. Same type of plants from the same seed source in river bottom soil that was supposedly rich. No manure in this patch but chemical fertilizer and some Sevin dust to keep the bugs under control. The plants grew but without the large green leaves and the speed that they were growing in my plot at home. Even though I had planted the same number or even a few more plants, I got only half the amount of gourds and they were much smaller.

So more manure is in the plans for my gourd patch next year. I am going to stockpile it and work the manure into my planting hills before I plant. If you want a super duper gourd crop next year, start scouting around for a local manure source.

Gourd Festival in Pennsylvania

Find out what all the excitement is with gourd art and craft.
You are invited to the Pennsylvania Gourd Societies annual
gourd festival being held June 15 and 16 near Lancaster, PA.
You can find all the details here:


http://www.pagourdsociety.org/gourdfestival.asp

There will be classes to attend, demonstrations, finished gourds
and raw gourds for sale, tools and gourd crafting supplies.

Come and join us for some fun and education.

Calling all gourd enthusiasts!

If you are not already a member of the American Gourd Society you may want to hurry and join. Starting with the spring issue the quarterly publication of "The Gourd" will be making a change. A new format and name change will give society members a true magazine look and feel. With new slick pages, colored pictures and added columns it will be a must have for gourd enthusiasts.

For just $15 a year you can help spread the gourd glow and see for yourself what the gourd community is eagerly waiting for.

You can find the information you need to become a member at http://www.americangourdsociety.org

Martha

What to do with a weak shelled gourd?

What do you do with a very large gourd when you discover the bottom is weak and you can push your finger through?

This was something that I encountered recently. I had planned on listing it on ebay but that plan was scrapped.

Should I cut off the bottom and replace it with a wood bottom? No. Too much work for all the better shell this gourd had.

A better idea!

Since the gourd has an A shape with not many curves, I decided to cut shapes out of it to use as gift tags that could also be used as an ornament on the Christmas tree. I found a few Christmas cookie cutters and made some of my own patterns and went to work. 25 gift tags were cut from this gourd with still more scraps that can be used for other projects.

I was happy that I could come up with a use for this gourd instead of tossing it out.