Community Corner
Growing Birdhouse Gourds
The hard-shelled gourds have been known to last thousands of years.
It always amazes me that planting a single seed in the spring will provide me with a fall harvest of a dozen large gourds that will become nesting boxes for birds.
Birdhouse gourds, Lagenaria siceraria, are hard-shelled durable fruit grown for ornament, utensils and crafts. They are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes the cucumber, squash, pumpkin and melon. The most important quality of these gourds are the hard shells, which has been known to last thousands of years. Because of this, large gourds are useful in making inexpensive birdhouses.
Growing them is also relatively easy if you have enough room. And, here in Maryland we have a long enough growing season of about 100 days for them to mature.
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To start off, plant the seeds one inch deep, next to a fence or arbor for support. Once the vine reaches nine to 10 feet long, pinch off the growing tip to force it to produce side branches. The vines will sprawl everywhere and produce large white flowers that bloom at night. Growing them on a fence ensures that the gourds will hang down, and have straight long necks. It's also keeps them cleaner.
The vines require consistent watering, so make sure you water them deeply at least once a week. This is especially necessary if it doesn't rain.
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Scratch in some granular fertilizer next to the vine base to get larger, more productive gourds.
When the days get cooler, let the vines wither. You can even let a few frosts hit the gourds without any ill effects because of their hard shell.
Transfer the gourds to a dark cool spot in your house, and after about six months, they are ready for business.
Shake the gourds, and you should hear the seeds rattle. Once dry, you can take a hole saw and remove a round entrance in the side of the gourd. Drill a hole on top for hanging and you are done.
Some people like to decorate their gourds for added interest, but I just like them plain. Save the seeds that are inside for producing future birdhouses, and bag up some seeds for gifts enclosed with instructions.
