Some of Bobbie Lowe ’s gourd vine are warty . Others are liquid . There are gourds as bounteous as basketball and gourds as small as chicken ’s eggs . “ I like to say we have 57 different mixed bag — like the ketchup , ” Bobbie Lowe says . Together , she and her hubby , Ben Lowe , ownBenjamin ’s landing place at Lowe Farmsin Pylesville , Maryland .
They ’ve been acquire hundreds of gourds there since 2007 .
Long before that , however , Bobbie used to rise and sell floral bouquets . She start growing gourds to use as less - breakable containers for her redolence . “ I got intrigue by how many different [ gourd ] sizes and form there were , ” she say . “ Eventually , the gourd overtook the flowers ! ”
Taking Shape
That ’s apprehensible considering just how versatile dried gourds can be . Although there are infinite source type useable , hardshell gourds ( from the genus Lagenaria ) come down into a few main family . by and large , there are bottle- or birdhouse - style gourds , water ouzel gourd , basket gourd and “ snake ” gourds .
Bottle or birdhouse gourds usually have a wide-cut , bulb - like understructure , a slender mid - part , and another full , bulb - comparable surgical incision on top . Some types let in Mexican , Indonesian and Formosan bottle gourd vine , as well as martin , swan and penguin gourd vine .
As for Charles’s Wain calabash , these have one main , bulb - like section at the bottom and a long , close neck . Some seeded player types include Marenka or dinosaur gourd and short- , long- and extra - long - handled dippers .
Susan Brackney
Basket or container gourds are often large and very rounded . Some of these admit bushel , kettle , canteen - style , apple and baccy box miscellanea .
And , as the name suggests , snake calabash are very foresightful and skinny . As they grow , it ’s possible to train these gourds into spirals and other interesting cast .
Read more : Learn how to ( safely ! ) clean hardshell gourd for fun craft projection .
Susan Brackney
Best for Beginners?
After they ’ve been harvested and dried , hardshell calabash can last indefinitely . craftsman can chip at , paint and even burn down designs into the gourd vine ’ woody walls . And , depending on their contour , gourds can become functional vas , baskets , token boxes , musical instruments and more .
Not sure just what sort of gourd to try ? Whether you want to craft some yourself or trade homegrown gourds to others , Lowe paint a picture Malus pumila , martin and bottle - style gourd . “ Those are the three that are the most democratic , ” she says . “ If [ crafters ] want to cut into them , the racing shell are n’t as difficult . ”
She continues , “ If they ’re good with a drill and a Dremel , then I would add a cannonball to that . The cannon ball shell is very knockout equate to the other three . Those are the ones that you ’ll see mostly at the wiliness shows . ”Susan Brackney
Get Growing
Certain hardshell gourd vine ask a lengthy growing season to reach adulthood . As a result , Lowe starts some of her gourd seeds inside her greenhouse as early as April . To aid germination , she soaks her gourd come before establish .
And , she monish , sprouting for some types can take up to four weeks . “ Mini Nigerian nursing bottle gourd take a while to develop , ” she tell . “ And cannonball [ gourds ] seem to take forever . ”
Lowe implant her gourds on about two land each year . “ The gourds need melodic line and plenty of room , ” she says . “ I plant mine at least 4 1/2 feet aside with 8 - foot rows from center to center . ”
Gourd flora are susceptible to powdery mildew and other fungal and bacterial diseases . They ’re also attractive to cucumber vine beetles , squash bugs and squash vine woodborer . guarantee plants are n’t too crowded can assist keep some pestilence in check .
fellow plant with marigolds can help , too .
Gourds also necessitate about an in of water each calendar week . When watering , take concern not to splash the folio . alternatively , direct body of water only to the root zone , as this can avail to forbid the gap of dirt - borne disease .
Read more : Grow your own luffa gourds to deal or use yourself .
Extra Steps
To boost the routine of gourds you produce , you ’ll need to trim the end of each plant ’s main vine . “ If you have 10 feet of vine , you’re able to snip off 8 inches and be safe , ” Lowe say . Doing so encourage branch growth — and extra female flower .
Besides the gourd vine themselves , Lowe begin sellinggourd seedsseveral years ago . To ensure its pureness , she hand - pollinates individual blooms . “ The female bloom open one evening , and that ’s it , ” she sound out . “ You go out when the sun sets and helping hand - pollinate from the male person to the female . ”
Then she either rap the just - pollinate prime shut or places a small nylon handbag around it . “ The bag is to keep any other insects out , ” she excuse . “ After 24 hours , you may take the bag off . ”
Want to preserve or sell your own gourd seed ? If you ’re growing multiple varieties , you ’ll require to take similar precautions to avoid cross - pollenation . at last , when purchasing gourd seeds , ensure they came from likewise hand - pollenate plants .
And most important of all ? Be patient . “ If they plant a gourd [ seed ] in April , it ’s run short to be the follow June — not thatfirstJune but thesecondJune — until their gourd are dried and quick to craft , ” Lowe says . “ It takes a farsighted fourth dimension . ”
