when to harvest birdhouse gourds

They grow best in. Leave as much of the stem on the gourd as possible.

Growing Birdhouse Gourds For Birds More Garden Mentors

Next give the gourd a bleach bath 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.

. There are many different types of containers such as buckets old boots or even recycled plastic bottles that. Harvesting them at the right time will ensure that they are ripe and ready for use. Drill an entry hole thats 1 12 around and place it 5 up from the bottom of the gourd. Gourds are ready for harvest when the stems dry out and turn brown on the vine.

We are beginning our gourd harvesting and Tina will discuss how and when to harvest gourds as well as how to dry and how to cure your gourds for crafting. Birdhouse gourd can also be grown on study trellises. Its easy to grow birdhouse gourds. We have 30 gourds from 2 birdhouse gourd plants in this patch and an additional 5 from the fence up by the hyacinth vineTheres many different methods for h.

Dont worry about the freezing and thawing as natural weather conditions just help the curing. The gourds are ready when you shake them and can hear the. Sow seeds ½-1 deep 3-4 apart. Dont just twist it off.

During this time the gourds may discolor on the outside and even grow some mold which you can simply wipe off. Sow in late spring when the soil temperature is at least 70 and frost danger has passed. Large heavy gourds may take as long as 6 months to completely dry. Growing Birdhouse Gourd Rewards Why Grow Birdhouse Gourds.

Ornamental gourds that lose their stem stubs are much more likely to rot starting at the stem. To harvest simply cut the stem very close to the vine away from the gourd using a sharp knife or trimming shears. As the gourd gets wet the skin becomes. You may find that a crust or mold appears on the gourds as they dry.

Step 1 Harvest gourds. Mount the house at the edge of a clearing. Storing them in the barn or any other area where they will have good ventilation is fine. Cut the gourds from the stem before freezing temperatures hit as the cold can ruin their skin.

Harvest gourds when the stem attached to the fruit begins to dry and turn brown. Since the rind or skin is susceptible to bruising or scratching handle the gourds carefully. In warmer climates with longer growing seasons the seeds can be sown directly in the garden. To make ornamental gourds last always harvest them with a stub of stem attached.

You can pick them after the vines die off or if you are having bug problems. This makes sure that there are no live spores on the gourd. The first step to growing birdhouse gourds is to select a container. Leave a few inches for the stem it looks cool and open punctures are bad.

Titmouse Choose a gourd thats 4 wide and drill an entry. Let the gourd air dry and remove any trace of moisture and bacteria with rubbing alcohol or distilled vinegar. Dry the outside of the gourd. Cut the gourds from.

Plus these gourds can be made into more than just bird houses. This is normal and not a sign that they. Birdhouse gourds have a long growing season 120 to 140 days. Generally birdhouse gourds are harvested between 70 and 100 days after flowering.

Wash the gourd in warm soapy water.