Hi Zoosville, The first gourd growing year is usually about experimentation. I leave my gourds in the yard all winter and almost all of them dry beautifully. After the vines are completely withered, I sometimes move the largest gourds to a protected patio, and sometimes I put some in the unheated garage. My experience has been that the garage gourds (a little warmer, less circulation) get the grossest mold. Outside dried gourds are still moldy, just drier. I have never scraped green gourds, but I have heard that others have had good luck with periodically dipping drying gourds in a mild bleach solution. Anyway, mold is just mold. If you take GOOD precautions in handling and filtering your breathing, it is a minor aggravation to the amazing process of working with these wonderful objects. good luck and have fun! J

Hi Janmar, thanks for the info. We are colder than your area so I'll leave a couple of the small ones out all winter and see if they dry or rot. I'll keep a few in the garage and some in the basement and let nature take its course and just maybe, I'll end up with some nice ones.
Scraped the gourd that had fallen off the vine last night. Used a very dull paring knife and was amazed at how hard the gourd was. I expected the gourd to be soft and easily damaged. Well like you said, the first year is about
experimentation.
Thanks again,
Zoo

Zoosville,
I live next door to you in NWPA.I have been growing birdhouse gourds for 5 years now.If I were you I would not pull off any gourds until you get a good frost and the vines and stems turn brown.Frost will not hurt your
gourds but if you pick them to soon you will.If you are going to make birdhouses out of them, then after you do pick them drill 4 holes about a 1/4 in.in the bottom of them.Then drill a small hole through the neck so you can hang them up with a wire.Try to hang them where they get some air.I hang my out in my greenhouse and I turn a fan on low and they dry in a couple months.Before I got the greenhouse I used the basement with a fan.Just remember
they will drip with the holes in them,but that help them to dry faster.I have never tried scraping them when they
are green.I just let mine dry and get a little moldy then I wash them with a mild soap and a scrub pad.After I cut
the clean-out hole I soak them in Root killer for 15mins.
Good Luck
Don

Hi Don, Thanks for the info. I thought the frost would kill them for sure but since you are in the same zone, I will follow your advice.
Wasn't sure as to when to drill the bottom holes and you clarified that also.
When they are dry, why do you soak them in the Roof Killer?
Thanks again,
Zoos

zoos,
I soak them in root-killer to kill the bacteria and to help preserve for long life.You can buy it at home-depot I think a bottle mixes with 5 gals. of water.
Don

Good morning Don,
Just couldn't sleep last night and about 4:45 am it dawned on me that the root killer must contain the copper sulphate that I had read about using for the gourds.
You get up earlier than I, and there was your answer.
Thanks again,
Marlene aka zoosville

Zoos,
Are you growing gourds for purplemartins or for any Old Bird that needs a place to call home? If you are thinking about
purplemartins then don't waste your time on those birdhouse
gourds seeds.Because all you will get will be gourds that are 7 t0 9in. across and they will have a long neck.And martins wants gourds that are 10in or more across.I growed 30 gourds this year that are 10 to 16 in.across and have short stubby neck, they look just like those plastic ones you can buy for purplemartins.Every year I would send for birdhouse gourd seeds and get the same thing again. I did this for 4 years.Then last fall a guy on the purplemartin forum
sent me some purplemartin gourds seeds from Mississippi. I will have a lot of seeds this year if you would like to have some just let me know and I wiil send you some when
I get them dried out which will be Dec.or Jan. Here is an address where you can buy purplemartin gourds seeds.
www.virtualseeds.com
Don

Hi Don,
How kind you are.
Went out in the dark, thank God for electric lights, and measured my gourds. The two largest are 9 1/2 inches across.
The others are smaller but will use them for "any old bird" that needs a home. Had found a web site that tells what size holes to drill for smaller birds.
There is a wooded area behind my home and we have all kinds of birds. I also have three large feeders going all year round but eventually someone will buy that property and build a house and cut down all the trees. So I figure if I start gourds growing now, I can fill up my trees when the woods are gone.
Been saying that for 30 years now but it will happen eventually. A small lake adjoins the property and I'm sure that helps the birds and also the mosquitoes.
Thank you for your offer of seeds. I'd love to have them.
All I have to figure out is how to send my address to you without putting it on the web.
I'm not too good at this computer stuff but my daughter will help me to figure it out.
Thanks again,
Marlene

zoos,
I take it you must live out of town if you have a lake
and woods near by.Do you have a nice open area where you could put up a rack of 8 or 10 gourds for purplemartins.I have been trying to get martins for about 6 years,every year I get more and more to come but I haven't got them to nest yet,but I always had those birdhouse gourds.If all go right next spring I should have 2 dozen large gourds waiting for them.I took a old 7ft. satellite dish and mounded it
upside down on a pole and I can run it up and down with a
winch. I figure it will hold at least 30 gourds.I am a member of the Purplemartin Conservation Association of
Edinboro PA.They have a real nice forum.
Don

HI Don,
Well I don't know what I did wrong but I wrote this yesterday and since it didn't show up on the forum I must have done something wrong. So here goes again.
Yes I do have an open area in the middle of the back yard where I can plant my "gourd tree".
It would be the ideal spot but was concerned cause our utilities poles are along the back property line and wires run from there to the house, crossing over the middle of the back yard.
Then I went to your Purplemartin Conservation Assoc. of Edinboro and it seems the birds like a few wires in the area.
So thanks again for giving me that web site. Lots of terrific information.
Now all I have to do is figure out how to make a telescoping pole. At least I have all winter to work on that one.
Thanks again,
Marlene

zoos.
I received your post by e-mail on the 5th.I don't know what you did but it's o.k. I sent you back an e-mail on the 5th. that had pictures attached. Did you not receive it? You should think about becoming a member
of the purplemartins assoc. if you are thinking about trying to get purplemartins.I think you will like them both very much the Forum and the Birds.
Don

Hi Don, I did not receive your e-mail on the 5th. and of coarse No pictures.
Am seriously thinking of joining the purplemartin assoc. it is a terrific web site. Thanks again for all the info.
Marlene

Zoos,
I will try to send that e-mail to you again I have it in my sent folder. The purplemartin assoc. and the Garden Web Forum go together like Purplemartins and Gourds.You have to remember that we are in the off season for the martins so the forum will be a lot different right now.Once
the martins start to arrive in the spring the forum really get hopping.Now is a good time to go on and ask questions
because everyone on there loves purplemartns. And we will all do what we can to help new members get started and how to care for the martins. Hope to see you there!!!!!
Don