|
Fri, Jul 7, 06 at 8:53
| I planted some gourds called "fancy mix" from a burpe seed pack. I put them in a corner flower bed souther exposure - 10 + hours of sun a day, in our fenced yard. ( yard is very hot this time of year) it is growing like WILDFIRE! I placed a trellis and have wound it around, but i am still concerned it will not have enough room.
I have started to train it up some string tied to my fence...So i am wondering I planted it mid may and like i said it's growing like mad....seems everyday it has grown like a weed. I have flowers and fruit - everywhere, small but there. I am watering everyday - does it need that much water? what about mircle grow? Should i use it or just let it thrive its self? how large / long are the "arms" going to get? I am guessing the main one is about 6 ft right now. Any more ides to keep it off the ground? ( i have dogs and children) and it is starting to sprawl on the ground. can you share any more info / tips for me? I would really like to get as many fruit as i can without " cramping" the plant. thank you |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| Sounds like you have the "soft shell" variety of gourds. If they have yellow flowers they are for sure soft shell. They produce very colorful small gourds of all kinds of shapes. The only bad thing about them is that they only keep for a few months after harvest and then start to rot. Once in a while you can get one or two to dry but they loose all color when they do. They are great climers and if you already have a trellis I would suggest trying to grab those rascals who are headed for your yard and get them started on your trellis. They will grow over each other and get along quite well. The vines of the hard shell variety of gourds will easily grow to 30 or 40 ft. I don't believe the soft shells grow as long. If you get 3 or 4 inches of rain a month I don't believe you would need to water them. Watch the leaves, and if they start to droop all day long, then they will need watered. If your soil is decent, don't believe you'll need additional fertilizer. Sometimes that just promotes more vine growth but not necessarily more gourds. Next year try some hard shell gourds like bird house or apple gourds but be careful. They are very addictive!!! Keep the web posted on how they are doing. Good luck. Gene |
|
- Posted by gardenquest 5 wi (My Page) on Sat, Jul 8, 06 at 7:51
| Hi thanks for the reply. Yes, they do have large yellow flowers. I will update with growth. thanks |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Gourds Forum
Instructions
- You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
- HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
- No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.