Remember this?
That’s my garden consumed by gourds. I’m thrilled that they’re productive, but they leave very little room for other lovely green life.
Because I need to make room for my fall plants I thought, ‘maybe I can pull some of these out and get them drying, so I can use that space for other things.’ Apparently, no such luck.
Here’s the skinny on gourd processing, thanks to AmishGourds.com.
- My gourds are currently about 6 inches in diameter and they need to be about 10-12 inches for Martins to nest in them. Since I want to make these gourds into bird houses…I must wait.
- You can cut the gourds from the vines (leaving long stems) and set them in a well aerated space in the sun on pallets to dry, but they may rot. The best solution seems to be to leave them on the vine….I must wait.
- How long will said drying time on the vine take? About 3-6 months…I must wait.
My gourd takeaways for next year are as follows:
If I do plant them again, I should put them in an area along a fence where they can climb to their hearts content and not take up precious garden space.
Do NOT have the area where they’re planted earmarked for fall plants. The gourds will still be there come planting time and you’ll have dying seedlings on your hands. (yes, I’m talking to myself here. Like I said, I’m out of my gourd.)
If you want just a couple gourds and you want them now…order them. AmishGourds.com has many you can carve and paint yourself and you can of course find some finished at Etsy. I’m tempted to just break down and buy some myself, but I need to get a grip and see this thing through. Patience is a virtue I most certainly am lacking in this situation. It’ll be worth it for the birds though!!
Deep breaths and patience,
Claire
On a Claire Day 