Yaaaaay gourds! This completely useless message has been crafted for
the sole purpose of celebrating the gourd madness that is summer! I've
got baby melons and squashes and vines all over the place, and I hope
y'all's are doing as well as mine.

The birdhouse gourds are particularly fertile. This is my first time
with this plant, so watching the little baby gourds spring up all along
the vines is really cool. Of course, I overplanted, and so now I have
vines growing all over my trellis, up my tomato supports, climbing the
trees, growing over the bench, falling over the lawn...my Phx Az yard
looks like the set of a Tarzan film! Once those vines get going they
don't slow down.

To the fantastic person who asked for seeds - I haven't forgotten you,
I've just been crazy busy with school and work. I have Sunday off, and
will be sending your seeds then.

So, guys, when these eight million little birdhouse gourds ripen and
fall, what should I do with them? Thanks to all their foliage, I
already have eight million birds!

Let/s see 'em!

Free and EZ pix posting @ ...
http://www.imageshack.us/

tenacity wrote:

So, guys, when these eight million little birdhouse gourds ripen and
fall, what should I do with them? Thanks to all their foliage, I
already have eight million birds!


I don't know what others do, but this is my method:

When harvesting the gourds, be careful not to cut,
scrape or bruise the skin. I harvest them all at
the same time, at the end of the year when the
foliage is dying off.

Put them directly into an area that gets plenty of
air and is not damp. Basements are out, attics and
sheds are good.

Sit the gourds on newspaper (or alternately, hang
them) so that none are touching.

Forget about them.

Come back next spring and they will be dried out
and covered with a blotchy, black-and-grey mold.
Unless you're doing some artsy-fartsy thing with
them, you'll want to remove this mold by wiping,
sanding, washing, etc. (I've tried them all, they
all work with different results). You'll be left
with a beautifully patterned gourd, dried and
ready to carve.

Enjoy!

-Kays

Thank you so much! I didn't know what to do with them.

I plan on painting them and hanging them on my pond gazebo- I have at
least four coming. They're so cool - I grew them on a fluke this year
but
l'll plant them more carefully next year. I'll put them along my front
fence to make the most of my vines and get more of the flowers
available to the bugs and bees.

tenacity wrote:
Thank you so much! I didn't know what to do with them.

I plan on painting them and hanging them on my pond gazebo- I have at
least four coming. They're so cool - I grew them on a fluke this year
but
l'll plant them more carefully next year. I'll put them along my front
fence to make the most of my vines and get more of the flowers
available to the bugs and bees.



Gourds are great. I normally have birdhouse,
dipper and apple gourds, but last year I planted
some spinner gourds, too. These little guys spin
like tops and are small so you can carry one in
your pocket. I painted mine in bright spirals so
they look like they're winding when they spin.

Next year I want to try some bushel gourds ;-)

This is all a bit off-topic on an edible gardens
list. Try here for more info:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/gourds/

Enjoy!

-K