- Brand : treeseedsplus

- Feature : This is a "Multiple Variation" style listing. Use the "Seed Qty" drop-down menu, above, to select quantity/weight. Choose from: 5 Seeds for $2.00 15 Seeds for $4.00 30 Seeds for $7.00 60 Seeds for $13.00 120 Seeds for $24.00 240 Seeds for $45.00 / Bushel Basket Gourd, Lagenaria siceraria, Seeds This gourd grows from 30-50 lbs. and the fruit is dried to make large baskets and decorations. Crafters love its unusual shape. 125 days. Open Pollinated For thousands of years, gourds have been grown and used by many cultures as useful tools and utensils. Today we mostly think of gourds as decorations, birdhouses or containers. Growing Gourds: There are a few basic requirements that must be met before attempting to grow gourds of any kind with any real success. Gourds of all types require a lot of sun, water and a long spell of warm weather. Gourds need about 100 to 180 growing days in order to fully mature. They also need lots of room. They can either be trellised or left to run on the ground. Good soil is obviously a must for any plant to grow. / Planting in Hills: One of the most popular methods for growing "any" plants from the vine family is to plant them in "hills". To do this, dig a hole about a foot deep and two feet in diameter in an area where it will receive plenty of sun and water. Then fill the hole about 1/4 to 1/2 way with cow manure or some other form of compost. Next, cover the manure with about 3 or 4 inches of dirt and space from about 6 to a dozen seeds around the 'hill' and cover them up. As they grow, their roots go down into the manure and are thus self fertilizing. Once they are well started, say about 2 or 3 leaves each, thin down to the best 2 or 3 plants. With good sun and water, they will soon begin spreading their vines. Just beware, the vines will soon overtake a large area, so don't place the "hills" too close together. It is not uncommon for the vines of the larger gourd species to easily reach 20-30 feet in length. Assume that a plant can handle and grow 2 good gourds each, so you could expect 20 gourds from 10 plants, depending on your local and length of growing season. Keep in mind that the more gourds per plant, the smaller they will be. Maintenance: Gourds need consistent watering, especially once fruit has set. You can feed by side dressing with organic matter or a balanced fertilizer when the vines start to blossom. Use caution when weeding, since gourds are shallow rooted. If pollinators are not abundant, you may have to pollinate by hand, by removing the male blossoms and dusting them onto the female blossoms. The female blossoms can be distinguished by the tiny immature fruit at the base of the flower. / Harvesting Gourds: Gourds are ready for harvesting when the stems dry out and turn brown. Cut the gourds with a few inches of stem intact. Harvest all gourds before a hard frost. Immature gourds will not last long, but frost will ruin soft skin gourds entirely and even a light frost can alter the color of hard skin gourds and affect their ability to dry. Discard bruised and spoiled gourds. They will just begin to decay in storage. Curing Ornamental Gourds: Gourds need air to properly dry. Lots of air. So if you pick your gourds early, DON'T put them some place where they will not get good air flow, like in a cellar or a small room. Curing or drying ornamental gourds requires time. There is no shortcut. The outside of the gourd must dry completely and then it will take another several months for the inside of the gourd to dry and cure. Lagenaria gourds can take twice as long to dry as Cucurbita gourds. Start by cleaning the surface of the gourds with soapy water and allow them to air dry. You can wipe them with rubbing alcohol to further ensure the surface dries completely. Place in a well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight for about 1 week. The skin will begin to harden and change color. After a week, the outside of the gourd should be well dried. Move the gourds to a well-ventilated, dark area where they can remain for at least 6 months. Spread them in a single layer and be sure none of the gourds are touching each other. Allow for air flow under the gourds by placing them on a screen or vented surface. It may be easier to hang larger gourds for drying. Check your gourds every day or two and discard any that begin to decay, shrivel or get soft. If mold appears, see if you can wipe it off with a dry cloth or one dipped in bleach. If the gourd is still hard, it should be fine. Turn the fruit every couple of weeks, to dry evenly and prevent rotting. When the gourds become light and solidly hard and you can hear the seeds rattling inside when you shake them, t / Letting Nature Dry Gourds: If the gourds are picked before maturing, then they are much more susceptible to rot. If you want to leave your gourds right in the field attached to the vines, they will dry on their own. Gourds will dry out in the weather just fine. No, it won't hurt them to get wet from rain, nor will it hurt them to freeze. Yes, a hard freeze will kill the vines and leaves, but mature gourds will do just fine. Commercial growers don't pick their gourds from the fields until they are fully dry. Sowing Bushel Basket Gourd Seeds: For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided. Scarify: Soak in water for 2-4 Hours Germination: Sow 1/2" to 1" Deep, Keep Warm and moist (Not wet). Sow only after soil temperature has warmed up. About the same time you plant corn. Earlier indoors and transplant if you have a short growing season. Be sure to give Gourds plenty of room on the ground or train them up a trellis.

- ProductGroup : Lawn & Patio

- ProductTypeName : SEEDS_AND_PLANTS

- Title : Bushel Basket Gourd, Lagenaria Siceraria,5 Seeds (30-50 Lbs)