Gourds
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Gourds
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow gourds in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many gourd vines to plant
- Growing conditions for gourds
- When to plant gourds
- How to plant gourds
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning gourds
- Companion plantings for gourds
- How to harvest, store, and use gourds
Growing Gourds
Gourds are warm-season vining vegetables closely related to squash, pumpkins, and melons.
Gourd vines grow 10–15 ft. (3–4.5 m) long, with squash- or pumpkin-like leaves and flowers. Gourd vines bear tough-skinned, seedy fruit most often used for decoration, rustic utensils or, when dried, for birdseed and craft birdhouses or musical instruments [see Harvest Projects].
Exfoliating sponges used for cosmetic cleansing are the dried pithy cores of loofah gourds, prepared as directed in Storage Tips, below.
Gourd Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 1–2 plants of each cultivar, yielding 10–15 gourds.
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 10–12 days. Average Climates: Sow seed indoors at time of last expected frost and harden seedlings 5–7 days before transplanting. Mild-Winter Climates: Sow seed in late winter. Set out seedlings in full sun in spring when soil warms to 68–86°F (20–30°C). Sow 2–3 seeds, 2 in. (50 mm) deep, 1 ft. (30 cm) apart, thinning to 2–4 ft. (60–120 cm) apart, in rows or hills 4 ft. (1.2 m) apart, installing trellises or support wires 3–5 ft. (90–150 cm) tall at time of planting. Separate plantings 50–75 ft. (15–23 m) to prevent cross-hybridization between cultivars.
Best Conditions for Growth
Growing temperature: 50–90°F (10–32°C). Flowers may drop or fail to set fruit at temperatures below 50°F (10°C).
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy soil. Fertility: Rich. 5.5–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 2 ft. (60 cm) deep.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist; avoid wetting foliage. Withhold water when flowers appear. Fertilize only at time of planting with 5–10–10 formula. Mulch. Cultivate. Avoid direct contact of gourds with soil. Cucumber beetle and fungal disease susceptible.
Pairing Recommendations
Beans, corn, and peas.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
85–100 days. Cut fruit when vines have dried and stems turn tan, before frost. Cure for 3–4 weeks in a shady, warm dry spot until seed rattles inside when gourds are shaken.
How to Store and Preserve
Dried, gourds store indefinitely; enhance their beauty by painting with shellac or other clear sealing finish. For loofah sponges, cook mature fruit in barely boiling water for 4–5 hours; when sodden and pliable, cool. Remove skin and flesh from the gourds’ tough, fibrous cores, then bleach, rinse thoroughly, trim, and dry in a warm, sunny spot protected from rain. As craft projects, dry gourds also may be fashioned into dippers, birdhouses, and musical instruments.