> Hello,
>
> This is my first time growing hard-shell birdhouse gourds. I planted
> the seeds in late June. It sounds like a late start but anything
> earlier this year would've dealt with 9 inches of rain and daily
> temperatures in the 50sF for highs (our first 90 degree day was 9
> weeks later than avg). If I had put them out any earlier the seeds
> would've almost certainly rotted. Luckily July was much more average,
> and the plants are doing very well on a fence. I really enjoy the
> night-blooms, I've never seen a flower which blooms at night.
>
> One gourd right now is extremely large (9-inch dia), and is supported
> off the ground by a piece of styrofoam. Three others are growing but
> they are all still green. I was wondering how big these gourds are
> suppose to get before they finally start drying up? I'm afraid I'm
> gonna run out of growing season. Is there any way to use un-ripe
> gourds for smaller birds?
>
> I was wondering how everyone else has dealt with hardshell gourds in
> the past, curing them, etc., and what might help them survive. So far
> I've been trying very hard to keep the bottoms dry (one large gourd
> has already rotted from a wet base...I cut him off and threw him out
> so other gourds would grow faster). When are they ready to pick? >
> I tried contacting the purple martin association but they recommended
> I buy the book. They said there's many ways to go about curing the
> gourd. It's hard to believe that the gourd won't rot while curing,
> simply drying up over the winter and being ready to hollow out in 5-6
> months. I've dealt with pumpkins and squash and when they go bad in
> 5-6 months it's not a pretty sight. Any other hints or advice would
> be appreciated, thanks
>
> Dan
> nw NJ - 80 in. of snow, 25 in. rain in past 12 months...and in the
> dead center of Isabelle predictions
Unfortunately, you're likely to run out of summer before your gourds mature . . . depending on the variety, it generally takes
90-120 days from transplanting to first harvest. And, honest-to-goodness, as long as you keep them in a dry spot, they'll dry up on their very own over the course of a couple of months after harvesting.Chris Owens