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| Birdhouse Gourd |
Birdhouse gourds are also known as bottle gourds because they are shaped like a bottle. I think they could also be called snowman gourds - sure, they only have two sections, but they have potential in the snowman realm. They are easy to grow and fun to watch as they develop and mature on the vine. The only downside of growing bottle gourds is their need for a long growing season, which North Dakota usually doesn't offer.
I start the gourd seeds indoors in peat pots the first part of April and then transplant them, pot and all, when danger of frost has passed. Growing them in peat pots that can be planted as is lessens the transplant shock and provides a better success rate. I protect them the first week or so after transplanting by placing a plastic one gallon plant pot, that I've cut the bottom from, over the plant. (These make great plant protectors and re-using them keeps me from feeling so guilty about all that wasted plastic).
Then just allow them to grow until the first frost of Autumn threatens. They need consistent moisture and full sun to do their best and lots of room to spread. Their growth habit is similar to winter squash or pumpkins. As the gourds are forming, it's a good idea to set them upright to help them keep a nice shape. You can also grow the vines on trellises where the gourds can hang free.
Leave several inches of stem on the gourd when picking. The gourds need to be thoroughly dried. This can be done outdoors in the sun, if you live in a warm, dry climate. Here, I dry them by spreading them on the wire greenhouse shelves. You can lay the gourds on several layers of newspaper in a warm, dry location, or tie a piece of twine around the stem and hang them to dry. The outside of the gourds will turn dark and mildew will form on them, but this does not affect the quality of the gourd. If soft or rotting spots develop on the gourd, remove them from the rest of the gourds and throw away. Every few days, it's a good idea to check the gourds for spoilage and turn them to help them dry more evenly. The drying process can take several months. You will know the gourd is dry when you can hear the seeds rattling inside it as you shake it.
Once they are dry, you are ready to prepare them for use as a birdhouse. Mix a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) and wipe the mildew off the outside of the gourd. I use a very fine sandpaper to remove any loose skin particles or remaining mildew spots.
Use a drill bit or small circular saw to drill an entrance hole in the widest part of the gourd. The size hole depends on the type of birds you wish to invite into your gourd house. Shake the dried seeds and any other debris out of the inside of the gourd. You may need to take a table knife or other slim, dull implement to scrape any excess that doesn't shake loose from the sides of the gourd.
Drill a one-quarter inch or smaller hole through the top portion of the gourd, being sure to stay low enough to maintain the strength of the gourd's head, but not so low that a bird could get tangled in the wire when they are inside the house. Drill a couple small drainage holes through the bottom of the gourd. If you wish, you can drill a small hole just below the entrance hole and glue a twig or small dowel in place as a perch.
After the paint is completely dried, insert a picture hanging wire or other sturdy wire through the small holes you drilled near the top of the gourd, and create a loop for hanging. Twist or tie the wire to secure it, then find a place to hang the new birdhouse.
Gourd birdhouses are not as durable as wooden or plastic birdhouses, so they should be hung in a protected area. They also should be placed where you can watch the birds as they make their homes and raise their family in their new house.
And, one of these years, I'm going to paint one white, with a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal....
I'm getting plenty of flowers but not forming any gourds
ReplyDeleteThe most common reason for flowers and no fruit/vegetable formation is poor pollination. Are there bees working in your garden? They are essential to pollination. Cool, wet weather will keep bees from working. That is a self-correcting problem - once the weather dries and warms up, the bees go back to work. Another reason for lack of bee activity is overuse of insecticides. Sadly, if this is the case, the bees are dead and until new populations move in and are allowed to work in the garden, there probably won't be adequate pollination. You can hand pollinate, using a q-tip. The gourd plants will have both male and female flowers. The females will have a small swollen area right at the base of the flower (the ovary). Males do not. Choose a nice, healthy male flower, open it, and look for the "fuzzy" material (the pollen) on the anther of the male flower (the stemlike structure inside the flower). Rub the pollen on the q-tip and then transfer it to the stigma (the little button-like structure in the center of the female flower). If the pollination is successful, you should see the ovary begin to swell and eventually turn into a gourd.
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