Lagenaria siceraria
Birdhouse gourds make an ideal gardening project for the whole kinfolk . The hard - blast hang fruit are not eatable but are wonderful for craft labor such as creating ornamental homes for the birdie . Learn how to plant and grow your own down below .
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The hard - blast gourd plant , Lagenaria siceraria , is a tropic squash in theCucurbitaceae familythat also includes cucumbers , pumpkins , and melons .
Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
It is suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11 , where it grows as an yearbook .
Also recognise as bottle gourd , calabash , or birdhouse gourd , it add up in a variety of frame and size of it and has been prized for millennia for having mature fruit with a tough taboo “ epicarp ” that dries to a water - impermeable , wood - alike consistency after they are harvested .
In this clause , you ’ll find oneself all you need to screw to naturalise intemperately - shell birdhouse gourds in your garden .
Photo by Forest and Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.
Here ’s the lineup :
What You’ll Learn
Let ’s get started .
Cultivation and History
L. sicerariahas a long growing season of up to 180 years .
Its vine may reach lengths of 16 foot or more , and can acquire on the undercoat , along fence , over bower and arbor , or up teepees and trellises .
The foliage consists of fuzzy green leaves and lily-white efflorescence . There are both male and female flowers , and only the female person produce fruit .
Bottle gourds may have an stretch or rounded shape . Some may deform like a gooseneck and others may sport a dual bulge like a weightlifter ’s dumbbell .
The feeding bottle gourd has an honored space in chronicle as one of our earliest domesticated crops .
date back 10,000 years to prehistoric Day in the Americas , and 7,000 years to Asia , it is believed that the metal money is native to Africa .
Two race have been identified , the AfricanL. sicerariavar.sicerariaand the AsianL. sicerariavar.asiatica .
Lagenariais the Romance give-and-take for feeding bottle , or flask . ripe hard - shell gourd have beenused for millenniaas nutrient containers , water jug , floats for sportfishing nets , and even consistence armor .
former Native Americans used them as musical cat’s-paw in religious ceremony , as well as birdhouse to attractinsect - eating violet St. Martin .
And while the tender immature fruit , shoots , leave , and seed ofL. sicerariaare eatable , it ’s all important to sympathize that this works contains a toxic chemical substance compound called tetracyclic triterpenoid cucurbitacin that is know to get serious and potentially lethal GI distraint .
Folks who consume it say not to use up any part or drink the extracted succus if it tastes “ bitter , ” but at least onedocumented hospitalizationfor GI hemorrhage point that this is a dangerous game to recreate .
In India , where it is known as dudhi , or lauki , L. sicerariahas been used for one thousand of year in Ayurvedic practice of medicine ’s Panchakarma cleanse , which reach the most of the toxin ’s purgative caliber .
L. sicerariais cultivated as a vegetable crop across Southeast Asia , and in Japan , where it is still used by traditional practitioners to treat ailments ranging from bronchial asthma to inflammation , and to stand centre wellness and resistant social function .
In today ’s American garden , it ’s a unique ornamental industrial plant that bluster vigorous flower vine and fruits that make sturdy , ornamental birdhouses .
Propagation
To grow your own flora , start with fresh seeds that are packed for the current growing season and come from a reputable purveyor .
Because of the long turn of days to maturity , you may want to get your seeds indoors four to six week before the last modal spring icing escort for your region .
Here ’s how :
When the seedlings have two sets of true leaves , acclimate them to the outdoors a few hours each daytime for about a week , and then fall them into garden filth at the same depth they are in their pots / cells .
How to Grow
Whether you ’re start up seeds indoors and transplanting them out , or directly - sowing them in the garden , you should do so after the danger of Robert Lee Frost has pass in the outpouring .
Select a full sun fix . If you live where summer afternoons are singe , a little afternoon shade is beneficial .
The stain should be organically rich and well - draining , with a slightly acid to neutral pH of 5.5 to 7 .
To determine your stain ’s acidity , you canconduct a dirt test . Soil that is too sweet ( alkaline ) is easy amended withthe gain of compost .
work on the soil to a friable eubstance , to a depth of six to eight inches , in a foot square patch of dry land .
rectify it as require per the results of the territory test , or just fuddle in a couple of goodish handfuls of compost for respectable measure .
Make a cumulus of the crumbly earth that is about six inch high-pitched and a infantry wide . Prepare as many hill as you wish , with five to eight feet between the mounds .
pose the cum up high helps to promote serious drainage and inhibit rotting .
Place four seeds in each mound at a depth of one inch . Point them downward , and let three inches between them .
As described in the case of indoor planting , they are less likely to rot in this emplacement than if you position them bland .
encompass the seeds and dab the dirt down firmly .
irrigate the soil and keep it equally moist , but not torpid , until plants are well establish .
Fertilizer is not required , but if you want to utilise it , choose one that is well - balanced and releases easy . Avoid product with an surfeit of N , or you may get lots of leaves and few fruit .
When you have seedlings with two sets of lawful leafage , thin the issue of plant life per pile to two . If you hoist up with two extremely vigorous vines , you could always thin them to one later , if you like .
The same start for transplants – industrial plant two in each pile , to give the vines plenty of room to spread as they grow .
I know it ’s operose to flimsy seedlings , but if you let them all mature , the works will be very confining together , fix air travel circulation , increasing ambient humidness , and stimulate them more prostrate to insect plague and disease .
As the vines begin to lengthen , you may determine if you want them to grow on the ground or over a social organization .
With flabby twist ties , like this product from Burpee , you’re able to civilise them to mature on the structure of your choice for a dapple - shade hideaway that adds upright landscape interest group .
Soft Twist railroad tie from Burpee
Each software hold back a 16 - foot uninterrupted axial rotation that can be write out as desired .
Some time on the primer is beneficial , as the vines tend to rout themselves into the soil as they lengthen , make the entire plant additional bread and butter .
However , this effort to provide the plants with a stronger base may leave in some fruit emerge at primer story .
Gourds that remain on the ground are susceptible to flattening and decomposition .
To protect them , watch over the recommendation inRodale ’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardeningand utilize several inches of mulch ( I like uncontaminating drinking straw ) beneath developing fruit .
The pros at the Rodale Institute also recommend a side dressing of compost in the midsection of summertime , as flora are heavy feeder .
Side dressing is a technique in which you work food into the soil without touch the roots , in a radius that goes from the root outward to the “ dribble line , ” or edge of the foliage .
With vines , this can be slick , so just add some compost near – but not on – the industrial plant , around summer solstice .
At about this clip , you may find that your gourds are incur bulky . While the stalk are quite tough , some folks like to provide contribute bread and butter with a flaccid sling .
Now , let ’s retread .
Growing Tips
For the best results , commend the pursuit when plant hard - shelled gourds :
Pruning and Maintenance
When the master vine hit about 10 feet , you’re able to use clean shear to cut back it back a few column inch . This encourage lateral branching . It ’s on these lateral branches that the distaff bloom are most probable to form and set fruit .
An additional pruning job is to snip off broken leave and stems . Such damaged works tissue paper is vulnerable to pests and disease . If you see signs of an infestation or infection , such as discolored or disfigured foliage , snip it off as well , and chuck out it in the trash .
Keep developing gourds on the ground from becoming flat or rotting by advance them on a bed of clean shuck .
Do n’t be surprised if you pay a visit to the garden on a summertime afternoon and find your leaves totally wilt .
This is normal ! They will pick up right up when the heat subside later towards even .
forefend the enticement to water at midday . To preserve even moisture , it ’s good to irrigate in the morning .
found plants should do alright with aninch of urine per weekin the absence seizure of pelting . During a very dry spell , you may want to be a fleck more generous .
tearing in the assuredness of the eve is also tantalizing , but do n’t do it . The presence of extra wet overnight is conducive to mold ontogeny .
And in the end , remember to keep the garden weed . Not only do green goddess compete for water , they suppress airflow , and leave a fosterage ground for disease - carry pest .
Where to Buy
As we ’ve say , there are numerous severely - shell gourd shapes so be certain toread your seed packetsto incur the ones you want .
Here are two reputable source of birdhouse gourd seeds , L. siceraria .
Birdhouse Gourd Seeds from Eden Brothers
cum are usable from Eden Brothersin 1 - snow leopard and 1/4 - pound parcel .
L. sicicerariaSeeds from Botanical Interests
Botanical Interests suppliesheirloomL. sicerariaseeds in packets of two and a half g .
Managing Pests and Disease
The secure style to avoid pestilence and disease is with estimable garden practices .
Buy timber source , space plants for optimum airflow , keep the garden gratuitous of weeds and junk , avoid overwatering , and sanitise equipment like prune shear , shovels , andgardening shoesbefore and after use .
However , even with our greatest crusade , trouble may rise up .
Some pests that are common to squash varieties like gourds let in :
look up our clause onidentifying and controlling zucchini pestsfor in - profoundness information about contend many pestis also common toL. siceraria .
In addition , plague can be disease “ vector , ” or carriers , so irruption need to be treat .
Some diseases to be on the lookout for are :
Learn more about many mutual squash ailment that can also affectL. sicerariainour article on identifying and controlling common courgette disease .
Reputable seed purveyors strive to offer squash seeds with superior disease resistor .
And while these tilt front prospicient and intimidating , infestations and infection may be minimal and do picayune impairment to your developing gourds .
Do n’t panic if you have some yield . I ’ve had beautiful squash grow on plant whose leaves were good damage by powdery mildew , for example .
For more entropy , see our complete guide to growing squash .
And be certain that when you produce squash rackets of any form , you remember to circumvolve locations yearly to avoid pests and disease that can overwinter over in the soil .
Are you still with me ?
I know it ’s a mass to take in , but the effect are so worth it !
Now that we ’ve discussed cultivation and troubleshooting cuss and disease , it ’s meter to reap the rewards of our labors .
Harvesting and Drying
As fall approaches , the days turn shorter and the dark become cool . Keep provide an column inch of water supply per week if it does n’t rain , and watch for the first frost .
When the foliage wilt , it ’s almost harvest prison term .
As the vines wither , brown , and stiffen , clean-living and useyour favourite pruning shearsto clip the vine above each fruit .
Be indisputable to leave alone a generous length of stem attached . It will continue to feed the gourd to optimum maturity , and is also ready to hand for suspend it to dry out .
feeding bottle gourd can tolerate a couple of light-colored hoarfrost , but not a hard one , so do n’t await too long to pick them .
Once you have your craw in , remove all plant dust from the garden to avoid wintering over pest . Dispose of infested and diseased debris in the folderol , not on the compost heap .
Clean all garden tool and shoe before stash away them away , and make anote in your garden journalto find a new position for next class ’s crush plant .
Now it ’s time for dry .
As the wet evaporates , severely - shelled gourd alter in color from green to tan , and have a tendency to grow mold .
To avert exposing your family to spore , find a well - ventilate , dry locating outside the house for storage .
safe place are service department and shed , where the fruit can be suspend on heavy string or rope from nails or hooks , or stand on wire rack , like you use for cooling cookie .
The smallest varieties may only need a few weeks to full dry out , whereas the largest may take almost a year .
The drying period survive for as long as it takes to reach a lightweight , hard calabash that sounds empty when you solicit it . You may even find out the seeds pinging around inside .
you may learn how to prep , cut , and paint your own bottle gourd birdhouse in our clause . ( coming soon ! )
Best Uses
L. sicerariaproduces sprawling vines , large leave , fragrant blank flowers , and expectant yield . With room to roam and structural support , it is an ornamental and novel addition to the garden .
Here ’s an attractive arborfrom Wayfairthat ’s certain to showcase your gourd vines to best advantage .
Plow & Hearth Montebello Iron Arbor
The Montebello Iron Arbor might be just right for your garden . It ’s available from Wayfair .
Growing gourds is playfulness whengardening with children , as the sprawl vines and swell fruit never cease to delight .
And drying and decorating them for the birds is fun the whole family can delight .
If you ’re wondering if you could farm other plants withL. siceraria , the solution is yes .
Some kinfolk like to grow legumes like beans and pea plant , because they are known as “ nitrogen - fixing ” flora that help to make this essential nutrient promptly available to neighboring plants .
clavus is another excellent companionbecause it share similar ethnic necessary .
prospicient - metre agriculturalist say not to develop squash nearpotatoes . It may adversely affect their flavor , pest permissiveness , and growth pace .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
Garden Art
bottleful gourds are great fun to grow in any temperate zone where the soil is organically rich and well - draining .
The plants take up a undecomposed amount of garden actual the three estates when let to ramble along the ground , so conceive using ornamental living structures .
With some diffused twisting tie , a pair of pruner , and your artistic tendency , you ’ll have them trained in no time for plushy backdrop , focal spot , and laughable hideout in your summer garden strategy .
And if you ’re like me andenjoy backyard birdwatching , I know you ’re going to be shiver by the beautiful homes you’re able to craft for your avian ally with the dry fruit of your labor .
And for more information about growinggourds and decorative squashin your garden , suss out out these pathfinder next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL rightfulness RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally publish on March 17 , 2019 . Last update March 1st , 2021 . Product photos via Botanical Interests , Burpee , Eden Brothers , and Wayfair . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Nan Schiller
