Finger Lakes destination

Growing Gourds

We start the seeds indoors in pots in late April.	They need lights to grow well. We harden them off throughout May.
We put them out around Memorial Day, under row-cover bonnets, for extra warmth and protection from cucumber beetles. We give them plenty of space!	The vines take off like crazy... you can almost watch them grow.
Tendrils are amazingly strong, and we use them to encourage the vines upwards.	Unlike other cucurbits, gourd blossoms bloom at night. We hand-pollinate sometimes. This is a female blossom, pollinated.
Each female blossom has a mini version of the fruit that will grow. These tiny fuzzy baby gourds are called "pepos".	"Legendary" bottle gourds, lurking beneath the luscious leaf canopy.
Mid August, all is green. The small gourd pictured is a "Sub-mini", never gets any bigger than that.	The weight of the ball pulls these dipper gourds straight. When they grow on the ground, they are curly.
In September the vines start to die away. We leave the gourds on the vine as long as there is any life in the plant.	As the water leaves the gourd, the skin starts to mold. Inexperienced gourd growers sometimes panic at this stage. Don't worry! If it had plenty of time to mature, it won't rot. The mold will leave beautiful marks on the surface of the gourd.
Gourds can stay out all winter long, they'll dry just fine. Mice might get into a few of the weaker ones. Don't bring them in your house at this stage!	Banana gourds, all dried and ready to be washed!
You can plant the seeds, but if they grew near different gourds, the offspring will be hybrids.

We grow many varieties of gourds at Gourdlandia, with interesting names: Mini Chinese Bottle, Sennari, Tobacco Box, Four Inch Round, Extra Long-Handled Dipper, 100 Plus, etc. We also buy some from Amish gourd farmers in southern Pennsylvania.

The photo captions here contain

growing tips. You can get more information from the American Gourd Society.

More information on growing and crafting gourds can be found on Gourdlandia's YouTube channel.

You can find a great selection of terrific, inexpensive gourd seeds at any of the following locations:

Amy Lewis has African Wine Kettle seeds available on her Etsy site.
Benjamin's Landing
Quarry Farm Gourds via R. H. Shumway

kids using small gourds at school for learning

An Absurdly Unexpected Way to Bring Wonder, Creativity, and Curiosity to Your Curriculum

This is a guest article written by Ann Kumpf, educator at Cambridge School. Looking for something to take learning to new heights? I have just the thing - Gourds! As an educator, I’m always on the lookout for things that 1. get students excited about learning, 2. create an eagerness to learn more, and 3. Create opportunities for students to embody what they are learning. I accidently discovered one thing that encompasses all those goals on a visit to Ithaca a few years ago. I

Tuck Your Babies In!

Plant your baby gourd plants in a nice rich bed, and give them a little blankie.

illustrated vole using magnifying glass to see gourd leaf

Taking Care Of Little Baby Gourd Seedlings

Your gourd seeds have pushed through the soil—now the real work begins! To grow "brawny, not scrawny" gourds, you’ll need to give them light, food, and fresh air. This guide covers why window light isn't enough, how to use grow lights to prevent leggy stems, and the best way to get deep green leaves. Plus, learn the "hardening off" process to prepare your seedlings for wind and sun before they make their big move to the garden.

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Here are some articles in which you can read all about how we grow gourds....

Join us on Sept. 6th for a Gourd-a-Palooza!

Finger Lakes destination

Growing Gourds

We start the seeds indoors in pots in late April.

They need lights to grow well. We harden them off throughout May.

We put them out around Memorial Day, under row-cover bonnets, for extra warmth and protection from cucumber beetles. We give them plenty of space!

The vines take off like crazy... you can almost watch them grow.

Tendrils are amazingly strong, and we use them to encourage the vines upwards.

Unlike other cucurbits, gourd blossoms bloom at night. We hand-pollinate sometimes. This is a female blossom, pollinated.

Each female blossom has a mini version of the fruit that will grow. These tiny fuzzy baby gourds are called "pepos".

"Legendary" bottle gourds, lurking beneath the luscious leaf canopy.

Mid August, all is green. The small gourd pictured is a "Sub-mini", never gets any bigger than that.

The weight of the ball pulls these dipper gourds straight. When they grow on the ground, they are curly.

In September the vines start to die away. We leave the gourds on the vine as long as there is any life in the plant.

As the water leaves the gourd, the skin starts to mold. Inexperienced gourd growers sometimes panic at this stage. Don't worry! If it had plenty of time to mature, it won't rot. The mold will leave beautiful marks on the surface of the gourd.

Gourds can stay out all winter long, they'll dry just fine. Mice might get into a few of the weaker ones. Don't bring them in your house at this stage!

Banana gourds, all dried and ready to be washed!

You can plant the seeds, but if they grew near different gourds, the offspring will be hybrids.

An Absurdly Unexpected Way to Bring Wonder, Creativity, and Curiosity to Your Curriculum

Tuck Your Babies In!

Taking Care Of Little Baby Gourd Seedlings

Spread the love of gourds!

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