I did a search on Google for information for Lagenaria siceraria and got a lot of hits with excellent information. If I had sunshine and room I would plant them and let them go up a structure so that the gourds hang down cleanly - they might need some support as they get pretty heavy. Other people just put them in a gourd patch and let them roam. I did see that some growers head the stems off at 8 feet to encourage flowering and more fruit. The different gourd societies (try the American Gourd Society)will also have directions on growing - look for info from a similar USDA zone as it makes a big difference. Also do a search for growing gourds in containers - I know people do that but they put a trellis above and the gourd types are usually the smaller ones. Genepa who posts in here has a structure that he made - you should check that out and you can modify that for yourself if you need.

Happy growing.

Matt - They will grow in a container, but 3 gal is awfully small, especially for two plants. If you can keep the root mass intact it would probably be better to put them in the gound. They bloom at night and insects and moths pollenate them. Male flowers are the first to show up and eventually female flowers(the ones with little gourds at the base)will. Pruning the vine when they reach 8 to 10 feet will help with the production of female flowers. Hand pollenation is easy to do and will usually produce results. Once the vines get growing, they gobble up land quick. A trellis system helps and results in nice straigt gourds, but some people prefer the twisted shapes. Good luck, but be careful - gourding is highly addictive!! Gene