This past year I grew 2 mini-bottle gourd plants in one pot and they grew up a trellis and along a fence for me. I got 11 gourds out of that one pot. You probably know this but be sure to use some quality potting soil in those pots, I prefer Miracle-Gro. My first year with the pot I just used ordinary soil and it just compacted and no water could drain through it and nothing grew. Drainage is important so be sure the barrel has some way for water to drain out. I would recommend only one vining plant in the pot I just didn't have the heart to remove one plant when it came time to thin them. I also grew some nasturtiums in the same pot and it looked nice. I think it works much better if you give the vine a fence or something to grow on more than just a tripod in the pot. Next season I plan on putting Jack-Be-Littles in there and I am sure they would do well.

Here is a Picture:
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Thank you so much for that. Love the picture, very fun.

I appreciate the variety information on which gourds and the potting soil. I would have to take the garden soil that is in them now out and put in potting soil. No problem and good to know.

I think if I grew Jack-be-Little's I would just let them stretch out on the ground and not worry about the trellis. Have to think about that.

Appreciate your time.

Kate

Hey weirdtrev:

Would you mind checking out a couple of gourd options for my half barrels? Namely:

Gourd, All Size Mix or
Gourd, Aladin

Thank you.

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: Gourds

Wow those Aladin are really small, if I didn't see the playing card in the picture I would have thought those were full size turks turbans. The Aladin gourds should be fine in your half barrels. The All Size Mix should be okay if it is actually the gourds pictured. The description worries me though since it says, "Amazing range of shapes and colors, both large and small." The gourds they have pictured are all small in my opinion and large gourds to me are the hard-shelled gourds. Although if you are growing them along the ground size shouldn't be too much of an issue.

One thing to watch out for is that if you let a vine just grow over the side of the barrel that is 12"-18" off the ground the vine may break before it touches the ground. You might want to think of a way to support the vine before it touches the ground. It wouldn't need to be fancy it could be something simple like four sticks in the ground about a foot apart and just tie the vine to the stick at closer and closer points to the ground as the vine grows.

Thanks so much for checking that out for me. Based on all your good feedback I can see this working now. Aren't those little Aladin's cute? Yes that deck of playing cards is kind of subliminal there but no matter how subtle it does convey their size.

Last year I grew annuals in some of my barrels and I was pretty bored with them by end of summer. This will be much more fun.

Kate