Picked my gourds yesterday. It's been a dry summer here, will have to seek out and buy gourds next year as 90% of mine did not get large enough.
This is my first time, and my question is this:
Do I have to protect my gourds from freezing while they are drying or maybe just from surface frost? I can't imagine the farmers that produce thousands of them having them in temperature controlled barns all winter.
Ian
Drying my gourds
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Haywire, it does not hurt the gourds to freeze. Many people in northern states leave the gourds out in the garden all winter. The seeds may not sprout but the freeze will not hurt a gourd that is fairly dry. Gourds should not be picked unless the stem is dry, or they may rot. Also put them in a place where they get good air circulation on all sides or they may rot. I put mine on wire so they get good air circulation from the bottom, as well as all sides, or hang them in bird netting.
About getting some that are large enough, there are always about 50% that are not large enough at my place. Since you had 90%, maybe there are some problems in these areas:
1) Did you plant them early enough? They grow larger if you start them as early as possible. I like to start mine very early, may even cover them if a late frost comes.
2) Do you have seeds that came from birdhouse gourds?
3) Did you water them if you had a dry summer. Some people drip irrigate them, I use a water sprinkler if it gets dry, gourds do like a lot of water but not too much either (they get diseases & die if it rains way too much). I just make sure that the ground does not get very dry.
4) Some people add a little bit of potash or wood ashes, as this makes the shell thicker. Gourds like a slightly acidic soil, with a pH of 6.5, and they like temperatures between 60 & 75 degrees. If it gets real hot, especially at night, the gourds & vines quick growing, and then the vines start again when it rains & gets cooler, but the gourds do not get larger if they ever stop growing.
Good luck
About getting some that are large enough, there are always about 50% that are not large enough at my place. Since you had 90%, maybe there are some problems in these areas:
1) Did you plant them early enough? They grow larger if you start them as early as possible. I like to start mine very early, may even cover them if a late frost comes.
2) Do you have seeds that came from birdhouse gourds?
3) Did you water them if you had a dry summer. Some people drip irrigate them, I use a water sprinkler if it gets dry, gourds do like a lot of water but not too much either (they get diseases & die if it rains way too much). I just make sure that the ground does not get very dry.
4) Some people add a little bit of potash or wood ashes, as this makes the shell thicker. Gourds like a slightly acidic soil, with a pH of 6.5, and they like temperatures between 60 & 75 degrees. If it gets real hot, especially at night, the gourds & vines quick growing, and then the vines start again when it rains & gets cooler, but the gourds do not get larger if they ever stop growing.
Good luck
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Guest
I bought some seed that were supposedly birdhouse but few of them actually germinated. I had the most luck with seed that I got from the good folk here at the forum. John & Linda and one other that escapes me sent some. Their seed had an almost 100% germination rate. I ended up with a mixture of Bottleneck and Kettle. We had a cold late spring and then a hot dry summer... we were on water restriction for a month or so. I did water them some but for the most part let them do their thing. I looked at drip irrigation but for the prices I saw, I could have bought Big Bo gourds and been done with it.
Oh well, We'll see how it works out. After putting them up in the barn, my ratio wasn't quite as bad as I thought. Out of 60 gourds, I have maybe 15-20 that are large enough (8" and up). If all of them are thick enough then I'll have to seek out 15-20 more from somewhere or wait another season to fill the racks I have up.
On the up side, I have plenty of 4"-6" wren houses
Thanks for the info,
Ian
Oh well, We'll see how it works out. After putting them up in the barn, my ratio wasn't quite as bad as I thought. Out of 60 gourds, I have maybe 15-20 that are large enough (8" and up). If all of them are thick enough then I'll have to seek out 15-20 more from somewhere or wait another season to fill the racks I have up.
On the up side, I have plenty of 4"-6" wren houses
Thanks for the info,
Ian
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Emil Pampell-Tx
- Posts: 6743
- Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2003 1:26 pm
- Location: Tx, Richmond (SW of Houston)
- Martin Colony History: First started in Gretna, La in 1969 with a small homemade house, have had martins ever since at 2 different homes in Texas
Why don't you just plant one kind of seed and get a good strain going. They cross polinate, and you will always have a bunch of different kinds if you plant several kinds like you did this year. Maybe you like the variety, but you will never get many real good birdhouse gourds from that mixture.
My suggestion is to get some seeds from a good strain, plant only 1 kind. I could send you some if you wish. Brad Biddle also has some good seeds. Just a suggestion, but do as you wish..
My suggestion is to get some seeds from a good strain, plant only 1 kind. I could send you some if you wish. Brad Biddle also has some good seeds. Just a suggestion, but do as you wish..
PMCA Member, 250 gourds, 6 poles, 2traps
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Guest
It was my first year, and didn't really know what I was doing (still don't apparently).
I'll take you up on your offer of seed, address PM'd.
Much Thanks,
Ian
I'll take you up on your offer of seed, address PM'd.
Much Thanks,
Ian
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Guest
Ian,
You're probably familiar with this, but there's a lot of info on growing and drying gourds and more at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~chuckabare/index00.htm
Tony
You're probably familiar with this, but there's a lot of info on growing and drying gourds and more at:
http://home.earthlink.net/~chuckabare/index00.htm
Tony
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Guest
Haywire,
If you want to grow gourds that are big enough for martins then don't waste your time on birdhouse gourds seeds.Everytime I planted birdhouse gourds seeds my gourds would all have long necks and they would only be around 7, 8 or 9 in. very few would reach 10 in. across which they say you should have for PM. I never knew that there were purplemartin gourds seeds until last fall.These seeds will grow you gourds that are 10,11,12in across and they have about a 4in neck they look just like the plastic ones.I will have a lot of seeds this year so if you would like some just e-mail me your address and I will send you some when I get some dried out.I will also give you and address where you can buy some
purplemartin gourds seeds.
Don
If you want to grow gourds that are big enough for martins then don't waste your time on birdhouse gourds seeds.Everytime I planted birdhouse gourds seeds my gourds would all have long necks and they would only be around 7, 8 or 9 in. very few would reach 10 in. across which they say you should have for PM. I never knew that there were purplemartin gourds seeds until last fall.These seeds will grow you gourds that are 10,11,12in across and they have about a 4in neck they look just like the plastic ones.I will have a lot of seeds this year so if you would like some just e-mail me your address and I will send you some when I get some dried out.I will also give you and address where you can buy some
purplemartin gourds seeds.
Don