Bottle gourds have been used as decorations for centuries because they are useful as tools and utensils. You may want bottle gourds for artistic purposes or you just want some colorful pumpkins to fill your yard, growing bottle gourds at home is easy.
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Part 1 of 4: Preparing to Plant
Step 1. Select the type of bottle gourd
Bottle gourds are available in dozens of types, each having its own unique shape, color and size. Bottle gourds are generally of three types: decorative bottle gourds (cucurbita), tool bottle gourds (lagenaria), and vegetable sponge bottle gourds (luffa).
- Decorative bottle gourds are bright in color and odd in shape, usually used as decoration. The plant has orange and yellow flowers.
- Tool bottle gourds are green as they grow, then dry brown. This bottle gourd is most often used to make tools and utensils because of its hard shell.
- The vegetable sponge bottle gourd has a shell that can be peeled off, opening the center which can be used as a sponge. This type has yellow flowers when it is growing.
Step 2. Determine the planting time
Bottle gourds will grow in almost any climate zone, but grow best in hot weather. If you are in a location where temperatures freeze during the winter, you should start growing bottle gourd seeds indoors before planting them outside. Bottle gourds take about 180 days from planting to ripe fruit, as a result of the extra long sprouting process. Remember that if you are in a cold area, you will need to start planting your seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost of the season.
- Bottle gourds grow best in temperatures between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius.
- To start growing bottle gourd indoors, you just need to plant the seeds in a container for each seed and water every day.
Step 3. Decide whether you will use the trellis
The trellis is made of wood or wire to hold the plant above the ground, you are particular to bottle gourds, the trellis is used primarily to encourage its unique shape. You don't need treltlis to grow bottle gourds, as they will grow just fine in the soil. But bottle gourds growing on the ground, the side of the fruit resting on the ground will be flat, while bottle gourds growing on a trellis will remain round. If you do decide to use a trellis, prepare it before planting bottle gourds, you then stake the plant on the trellis over time.
- Large and heavy types will require a wooden trellis and thick wire to strengthen the trellis so it doesn't fall out.
- Small bottle gourds can be grown using a large tomato cage as a trellis.
- Luffa (vegetable sponge bottle gourd) usually always needs to be planted using a trellis.
Step 4. Choose a planting location
Bottle gourds should be grown outdoors in full sun, with enough room to propagate. Although these plants can be grown in pots, this will limit their size and overall production. If you are growing your bottle gourd without a trellis, choose a large space for growth. Or, stake your trellis in a large area that gets some sun and some shade.
Step 5. Prepare the soil for planting
Preparing the soil for the right conditions for growing bottle gourd isn't complicated, bottle gourd is easy to grow in almost any location. Bottle gourds like high humidity with soil that is more loam than sand (meaning bottle gourds may not grow well in sandy soil). Test the pH of the planting site in your garden to see if the conditions are best for bottle gourds; bottle gourd likes acidic soil with a pH between 5.8 to 6.4. If the soil pH is too high, use peat to increase the acidity.
Part 2 of 4: Spreading the Seeds
Step 1. Scrape the seeds
Bottle gourds are known for their tough outer shell, which is one of the reasons for their extra long sprouting period. To prevent the seeds/bottle gourd from rotting as they take a long time to germinate, you can scrape the seeds to speed up the process. Use a sanding board (nail file) or fine sandpaper to scratch the outer surface of the seeds. It doesn't take long; sand only until the outer layer of both sides of the seed becomes rough.
Step 2. Soak the seeds
Once the seeds have been scraped, put them in a bowl of warm water and let them soak. This should be done for a total of 24 hours, to help speed up the sprouting process.
Step 3. Let the seeds dry
After soaking for 24 hours, remove the seeds from the water and place them on wax paper to dry. Give them time to dry completely to prevent them from rotting before sprouting.
Step 4. Start planting your seeds
Planting your seeds early in the year (even if you're in a warm area), planting them in a starting spot indoors, is a good move. Fill the small seed trays with the soil you prepared, and place one seed in each tray. Water daily until you are ready to move the shoots outdoors, usually after the last frost of winter.
Part 3 of 4: Growing Your Bottle Gourd
Step 1. Dig the row/hole
In the location you have chosen for your garden, use a small shovel to make a hole for planting bottle gourd buds. If you are planting a lot of bottle gourds at once, space them out so that they are 150 cm apart from each other, and 60 cm between each bottle gourd in a row.
Place rows of your bottle gourds near the trellis when you use them
Step 2. Plant bottle gourds
Place each small sprout or seed in its own hole; don't put a bunch of buds or seeds in the same space. Cover the seeds with 1.25 cm of soil, and cover the shoots to the base for new growth.
Step 3. Take care of the newly planted bottle gourds
When planting, water bottle gourd seeds with plenty of water to reduce shock from removal. Bottle gourds like a lot of moisture, so make sure the soil is moist by adding water daily if needed. Remove any weeds that appear, as they will steal essential nutrients and bottle gourd growing space. If you are using a trellis, as the bottle gourd grows to its size you can use the rope to secure its position to the pole and allow enough room for growth.
- Add a layer of humus to the soil in the garden to retain moisture and prevent weeds from growing.
- Consider mixing a balanced mixture (such as a 10-10-10 mix) in the soil every month.
- Water the bottle gourd with plenty of water, especially when the air is dry or hot, to maintain a high level of moisture in the soil
Step 4. Consider arranging the shape of a decorative bottle gourd
When you grow ornamental bottle gourds. Pumpkin growers generally shape bottle gourds until they have an attractive shape and structure. There are two common ways to practice the shape of a bottle gourd: bending it over time, and using a mold. You can bend the bottle gourd as it grows, if you want to get the shape of a bottle gourd that curves like a snake. You can also make molds for your bottle gourd, by placing small fruit in a breakable vessel (such as a vase). As the bottle gourd grows, the fruit will fill the container and take on its shape; You just have to open the mold to throw it away when it's ready.
Part 4 of 4: Harvest Your Bottle Gourds
Step 1. Let the bottle gourd stay on the stem
When your bottle gourd has reached its full size, the stalk on which it grew will die on its own. By this time your bottle gourd is ready to harvest, but it will be easier for you to keep the fruit on the stem. Allow a few weeks to a month for the curing process to occur; when you check, you will find the pumpkin is getting lighter and lighter. Unless you see an animal or insect eating your pumpkin, you don't have to worry about it turning rotten or ugly.
- If you must cut the pumpkin early, wait until the stem at the top of the bottle gourd has turned brown and is completely dry.
- Occasionally turn the bottle flasks and move them so they don't touch each other.
Step 2. Cut the bottle gourd
The curing time of each bottle gourd is different depending on its size (which depends on the water content). Check the bottle gourds weekly to see if they are ready to pick. Feel the rind and density of the bottle gourd; if it is soft or mushy, it means it is rotten and should be thrown away. If the skin feels firm and slightly waxy to the touch, it is ready to be cut. Shake the flask as a final test to see if it is fully preserved; when it's ready, it will crackle with the seeds clashing inside. Use scissors or a knife to cut the pumpkin from the stem.
Step 3. Polish the bottle gourd shell
Although it's not required, you can polish the shell of a bottle gourd to change its appearance and to help it last longer. Wash the bottle gourd with a little dish soap and warm water to kill any bacteria present. You can use sandpaper or steel wool to polish the outside of the bottle gourd, and add a coat of wax or lacquer to coat the shine. You can also decorate a bottle gourd by painting the outside.
Step 4. Consider saving the seeds
Your bottle gourd will last for years with the seeds inside, but if you want to save the seeds for planting next year, you can. Cut the bottle gourd to remove the seeds from the fruit. Follow the same process as spreading the seeds (as mentioned earlier) to help them grow. You can keep old bottle gourd shells, and you'll have the seeds to make new bottle gourds too.
