basket gourds getting big-now to dry them

18 years ago

I just realized that I must have planted my bushel gourds in the right part of the yard as they are really growing..I measured the 1 on July 27th and it was 25" around and 4 or 5 days later it was a little over 30" and the rest are doing good too (even with the drought) Now I will only have to worry about them rotting or squirrels getting them (even though the "Gourd guy" said the squirrels only like them when they are dry.) If anything happens to them now....I will be very ticked. And to think they have at least 3 months to keep growing..I just found out that some of the rest of my gourds (and my almost dead tomato plants) are planted close to neighbors black walnut tree. Has anyone ever had problems with their gourds growing near a B W tree? They seem to be doing O K but I'm not sure...Maybe they would be bigger if they were on the same side as bushel gourds. Any help would be appreciated--Thanks...Nancy

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Comments (2)

sowngrow (8a)
18 years ago
I haven't grown bushel gourds, but I have grown other types and air circulation during drying is very important. My first attempt at drying was to hang my gourds in our shed and I found out when they started rotting that there wasn't enough air circulation so I hung them from tree branches with twine tied around the stem and then the branch. Looked like I had gourds growing from the tree, but it worked!
uncleron
18 years ago
i grew bushel gourds in zone 4 but never heard of anybody haveing trouble growing them by a b walnut tree.i have heard of people haveing trouble growing flowers by such a tree. i have had very good luck drying my bushels by bringing a few inside my house and putting them ON my heat reg. it takes a few days this way instead of a few mounths!!! good luck on you'r gourding.