Finger Lakes destination
 We start the seeds indoors in pots in late April. |  They need lights to grow well. We harden them off throughout May. |
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 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. |
Growing Gourds
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.
Seeds! I've got seeds! Want some?
Please note: the seed giveaway for 2020 is over... check back next March!
My seeds are organic, but not certified. Tested for germination, but not extensively. These are seeds from gourds that I've hand-pollinated and isolated to prevent cross-pollination. They should be "true."
Note: Smaller gourds are easier to grow. A good selection of seeds from gourds of all sizes can be found at some of my favorite seed sources:
If you've never grown gourds before, I highly recommend you read the growing tips in the slideshow above, and seed-starting tips here, before sending for seeds. Gourds require LOTS of space, good rich soil, and as much time on the vine as possible. Gourds look nasty and moldy when they're drying... DON'T THROW THEM AWAY!!!
Still want some?
This is how it works: I don't sell them, I give them away.
Send me a self-addressed stamped envelope with a note saying which seeds you'd like (see below). I'll send your envelope back with seeds! Just a few, because I want lots of people to get some. My address can be found here.
Seeds Available Spring 2020:
South Sea Island Dipper
My favorite dipper gourd! I like it for it's nice hard shell. It's not extra-long; most are less than a yard.
Chinese Bottle Gourd
It's not a mini Chinese Bottle, but it isn't full-sized either! It's not real thick, and it may not be true, either.... but isn't it sweet?
Bushel
Big beautiful gourd with a nice shell, 1/4" thick or more. 14-18" diameter, 12" tall, with a knob at the top.
Small Unnamed Gourd C
Prolific plant, nice little gourd. 7-8" tall, pretty thick shell. I turn them into small fairy houses.
Basketball
A lovely gourd, good size (10-12"), shell is dense, almost 1/4" thick.
This glorious gourd needs a better name. I'm thinking "Schnozzola", maybe. Or maybe "Umbilical Gourd."
Cucuzzi
These 2-3' long gourds are also called Italian Edible Gourds, best eaten when less than a foot long. But only a Barbarian would eat something you could turn into a lamp!
Small Thick Gourd
This one has a very thick shell, but it's hard to grow! Needs a long time on the vine, and prone to soft spots. Only ask for this one if you live in zone 7 or higher.
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