Growing Gourds for Birdhouses

The gourds grown for making birdhouses are known as kettle, dipper, bottle, birdhouse gourd or calabash.

Planting Seeds Outside
You can grow gourds just like pumpkins. Plant the seeds in fertile, sandy, well-drained soil, mixed with cow manure. Feed, using a soluble fertilizer. Provide a sunny area and lots of room for the plants to roam. Plant 6-8 seeds one inch deep in hills about six inches high and six feet apart. When the plants are up and growing thin them to the three healthiest plants to a hill.

Starting Seeds Indoors
In the North, start seeds indoors about four weeks before the last frost date. Soak the seeds overnight before planting in peat pots so you won`t disturb the roots when moving them outside. Be sure to harden off the plants by exposing them to outside conditions gradually.

Growing
Provide a trellis or brush for the vines to grow on. If left to grow on the ground, put a thick layer of mulch down to keep the gourds clean and the weeds at bay. Prune the vines when they are about eight feet long to encourage branching. Fragrant blossoms will open after dusk when night flying insects can pollinate the flowers.

Harvesting
Harvest the gourds when they are six inches high and eight inches wide. Leave two or more inches of stem on the gourd. Wipe the gourd with a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol to remove bacteria from the shell. Hang them to cure for at least three to six months. Any mold that appears can be sanded or scraped away once they are dry. The gourds will be brown or tan in color when they are completely dry and will be very light weight.