Watering:

It`s almost impossible to water a gourd too much. They`re rather shallow-rooted, and need massive amounts to grow as big as they do, and to develop thick-shelled fruit. I use overhead irrigation, and I run it everyday, 20 minutes for each zone. I don`t use a rain sensor, and unless we're having a monsoon, I let the irrigation run even when it rains. About the beginning of September, I cut the irrigation back to 3 times a week, and on October 1st, I cut it off altogether. This will help keep big gourds from cracking late in the year. I run the irrigation about 9 am, to let the flowers stay as dry as possible when they`re open. I used to try to mulch around the gourds to help them retain water, but their leaves are usually an adequete defense. I no longer mulch them, and I don`t notice a difference.

Feeding:

The best thing you can do to feed your gourds is to give them massive amounts of compost in their soil. I hardly use any fertilizer at all once I`ve set them out. I add a LOT of earthworms to the gourd area...you can`t put a price on those guys, they do wonders for any garden. If your soil isn`t what you`d like it to be, I recommend tilling in some 8-8-8 before setting out your plants. you can go higher on the potash number, but don`t go too high on the nitrogen. It`ll help the leaves, but not the fruit production. If you top-dress with fertilizer after setting out, keep it off the vine stems.

Cutting Back:

This is a trick not too many people know about, but if you want lots of gourds on a vine, here it is: Gourds have male and female flowers. Male flowers develop on the main stem, females on the side runner vines. I let the main vines grow to about 10 -12 feet, and then I nip off the very end. this encouranges the side runners to develop. if you don`t trim the main runner, you`ll still get some side runners, but not near the number you`ll get on a cut vine. It can make the difference of having 4 gourds on a vine and having 20 gourds on that same vine. And if your soil is good enough and water adaquete, a gourd vine is easily capable of supporting that many. I`ve had 12 and more 50 lb. and over gourds growing on the same vine.

Pollenating:

The bane of many novice gourd-growers. As mentoined before, gourds have both male and female flowers. male flowers develop on the main stem, and grow on a stalk, female flowers develop on side runner vines, and have a tiny gourd directly under the flower. An unpollenated female gourd will shrivel and drop off the vine within a week. Gourds are night flowerers, and the blossoms seldom last more than about 12 hours. the majority of natural pollenation will be done by moths. You may have lazy, or non-existant moths, and therefore you have only one option: Hand pollenation. Here`s what you do: each night when the blossoms open, check to see if you have any female flowers open. if you do, find a male flower, off the same vine, if possible, and break it off. tear off the petals from the male flowers and then dust the pollen from the stamen onto the female flower by gently daubing it to the female flower`s center (the pistle). You can use the flowers from a different kind of gourd to pollenate another type and the gourd will develop just fine, but if you plant the seeds from this cross-pollenated gourd the next year, there`s no telling what the gourds will look like. This isn`t an altogether bad thing-some cross breeds are pretty darn cool, but if you want to grow true seed type, then be sure the male flower that you use is the same gourd type as the female flower you`re pollenating.

later, part III ... caring for developing gourds, harvesting and curing. Ciao!