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Pumpkins, Squash & Gourds

Something is eating my birdhouse gourd flowers

18 years ago

This is my FIRST YEAR at growing birdhouse gourds. I've planted 3 seeds in one spot and 2 in the next. Sofar it has grown 15 gourds (as far as I can tell) between the 5 seeds, but now something is eating the blooms and not just the flower pettals but it eats the whole bloom right off the stem. The area is undisturbed by people (except my husband and I) I do see alot of grasshoppers by the gourds, but nothing else that I could find thats chewing them off not even wabbits. Can anyone tell me what it possibly could do this?

I do know that the goats stay away from them and they just about eat anything.....LOL.

I'm tickeled to have gourds the VERY FIRST YEAR, but I would like to solve this problem so that I won't have this next year.

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Comments (2)

gourd_friends
18 years ago
Congratulations on your gourd crop. I can tell you are very excited about them!
This late in the growing season, you shouldn't worry about losing the blossom, but make sure they aren't dining on your gourds.
You won't have any crop from the bloom that is on your vines now, so go ahead and spray the little blossom-eaters! We use Sevin spray or dust after the middle of August, knowing that we aren't counting on the insects for pollination.

Jan
MarielinIowa40
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks Jan, I will keep the dust in mind and as soon as I have figured out whats eating them I'll let everyone know. Keep on growing.
Mariel
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