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Most ornamental gourds are not consideredsuitable for food and some bitter forms are actuallypoisonous. Some gourds can be used for food,usually when immature.

There are three general groups of gourds:Small fruited or pepo gourdsgrown mostly

for temporary use in the fall; closely related topumpkins; yellow flowers.

Lagenaria or bottle gourdsultimately driedfor decorative and useful purposes; white flowers.

Luffa or sponge gourdsused for dishrag orsponge; yellow flowers.

Many genera are considered gourds; amongthem are Cucurbita, Lagenaria, Luffa, Benincasa,Momordica, Sechium, Telfairia, and Tricosanthes.These are of interest to collectors. In addition,certain unusual species are found in greenhousesin the temperate zones.

Amateur gourd fanciers customarily classifygourds into hard-shell and soft-shell. Hard-shellgourds are suitable for practical uses and craftsafter they are dried. Soft shelled types are usefulonly for ornamental purposes while fresh.

Culture of the Common Gourds

Gourds are grown in full sun from seeds plantedabout 1/2 to 1 inch deep in rich, moist soil. Seed-lings may be started in plant bands or berry boxesindoors and transplanted to the garden after dan-ger of frost is past.

Gourds are best planted near stumps, fences,trellises, or other supports on which the plantscan climb. Trellises can be made from variouskinds of wire fencing. Gourds allowed to hang willbe straighter and better formed, although someprecautions should be taken to protect fruits fromscarring due to wind whipping. Prize gourds maybe supported in cheesecloth slings.

Gourds require enough water and fertilizer tomaintain constant, vigorous growth. The soil shouldbe deep and well drained. Thoroughly soak the soilbeneath the plants every 7 to 8 days during earlypart of the growing season. Do not wet vines anymore than necessary, as this will encourage foliagediseases. Irrigate less frequently as the growingseason draws to a close and fruits begin to harden.

Vigorous vines produce more fruit, but largerfruits, which may be undesirable, could result.

Disease and Insect Control

Start with clean seed from a reliable source.Remove any diseased or wilted plants. Rotate to anew location if diseases that cause wilting occur.

Apply an insecticide such as diazinon or mala-thion whenever insects reach damaging numbers.Watch especially for aphids. Use appropriate baitsfor slugs.

Shaping Gourds

Gourds may be made to grow in odd shapes bytying soft cloth tape around them. The shape ofthe snake gourd may be changed by frequent andgentle bending with the hands. Stem ends of cala-bash gourds may be tied to give them a desired

Ornamental gourds 1 and 2 are Lagenaria gourds. Num-bers 3, 4, 5 and 6 are small fruited gourds, or pepo gourds.

Ornamental GourdsOregon State University Extension Service Revised January 1977 FS 136

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curve. As a novelty, gourds are sometimes growninside bottles which mold their shape; bottles arebroken before gourds mature.

Harvesting

Delay harvesting until the gourd stem beginsto turn brown or leaves start to die after fruits havematured. Usually a short piece of stem is left on thegourd, so it is best harvested by clipping withpruning shears.

Curing and Drying

After harvesting, cure (dry) gourds in a light,warm, well-ventilated, dry place tor several weeks.Usually they are cured until the beginning of thelate fall and winter holiday seasonHalloween,Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Discard all bruised or immature fruits. Disinfectthe surface of gourds by rinsing with sodiumhypochlorite (laundry bleach) or borax solution.Prepare the solutions by mixing 5 parts of laundrybleach or similar material with 100 parts of coldwater (1 ounce to 3 quarts or 1/2 cup of borax to1 gallon of warm water). Borax is preferred forbrightly colored gourds. Wipe gourds with disin-fectant solution again during the first week or Iwoof curing. To store gourds, hang them from stringsor place only one layer deep on screens, slattedshelves, or trays.

Properly cured and disinfected gourds shouldremain attractive for several months. A coating ofplastic spray finish or paste wax is sometimes ap-plied to brighten and prolong the natural coloring.

Complete drying is best done by hanging thefruit in a warm place in mesh bags or storing onscreens. Drilling small holes in the ends of gourdsis often recommended to hasten drying, but thispractice usually results in infection by molds. Dry-ing will require from 1 to 6 months or longer, evenin good drying conditions. Totally dry gourds aregenerally unattractive because the color and finishof the skin is destroyed. Properly stored, driedgourds will remain intact for practical or craft pur-poses for years.

Gourds of the dipper, spoon, and bottle typesfrequently used for utensils and birdhouses maybe decoratively carved before the shells becomecompletely dry and brittle.

Do not harvest sponge gourds, Luffa, until afterthe vines are killed by frost. Soften the fruits bysubmerging them in water. After they are thor-oughly softened, remove outer rind by scrubbingwith a stiff brush or by rubbing the gourds together.Wash spongy interior part in several changes of

clean water, then allow to dry. The dried spongemay be used as a scouring pad or decoration,either dyed or in its natural color.

Seeds of healthy gourds may be saved. Variousrelated varieties cross readily however, so theywill not come true. The seed is good for about fouryears if stored in a cool, dry place.

Decorating Dried Gourds

Dried gourds to be varnished or decoratedshould be thoroughly washed and air dried. Hard-shell gourds may be smoothed with fine steel wool;sandpaper is too coarse. Complete all cutting, carv-ing, and gluing before applying any designs. Cleanand smooth the inside of opened gourds.

Decorated gourds may break loose if they arehung by stems. Make a tiny hole in the neck with ahot wire or a small drill, then insert a fine wire loopor nylon filament to serve as a hanger.

If gourds are to be painted, apply a sealer coatof shellac and allow to dry. Use quick-dryingenamel paints. Painted designs commonly associ-ated with Indian lore are usual, but original pat-terns are limited only by the imagination of theartist. Ornamental gourd collections may be com-bined with pine cones, seed pods, brightly coloredpeppers, and unusual leaves or dried grasses.

Seeds of ornamental gourds are available frommany sources. George W. Park Seed Co., Inc.,Greenwood, South Carolina 29646, has one of thelargest collections. Also, a good assortment isavailable from Nichols Garden Nursery, 1190Pacific Highway, Albany, Oregon 97321. We donot recommend or endorse one supplier over an-other. For information about local sources see yourcounty Extension agent or garden supply store.

Gourd information, including books and bulle-tins, is available from the American Gourd Soci-ety, Box 274, Mount Gilead, Ohio 43338.

Revised by J. R. Baggett, professor of horti-culture, and N. S. Mansour, Extension vegetablecrop specialist.

OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY

EXTENSIONP-1 SERVICE

Extension Service, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Henry A. Wadsworth, director. This publication was produced and distributed in further..e of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work is acooperative program of Oregon Stale University, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties.Extension invites participation in its programs and offers them equally to all people, without discrimination.

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