How To Grow And Care Bottle Gourd

The bottle gourd is an annual plant that grows on vines. It has large leaves and it looks very lush as it grows. The plant grows quite quickly and may show flowers only two months after it’s planted. The vines will grow on a trellis and the leaves cаn be up to 15 inches wide. it’s estimated that the bottle gourd was domesticated in Asia about 10,000 years ago but it’s native to Africa and some wild plants have even been found in Zimbabwe. It’s believed early hunters brought the gourds with them to the Americas.

How to Grow Bottle Gourd

Step One

This plant is ideal to grow in September in October as these are the ideal months for the plant. The seeds should be sewn after the first few showers in the May or June month. There are various varieties that you can grow and this is all up to you and your individual preferences. The seeds should be in about 30-45 cm and about 24 inches apart spacing so the plants have room to grow. You can thin out weaker seedlings as the plants grow or buy full seedlings at the nursery. Apply some fertilizer and work this into the soil. Your garden center cаn helps you choose the appropriate fertilizer for your gourd type.

Step Two

Make sure you give the gourd plants water at an interval of about 3-4 days. You can give a bit more water if it’s dry outside. You can alternate water days when the plants are flowering. You’ll need good stakes and trellis once the plants start sending out vines. Make sure the bottle gourd plants are going to be stable as the fruit can be heavy on the vines. Add more fertilizer and be sure to remove any weeds that are around the plants which may draw out nutrients and stunt the growth of the bottle gourds.

Step Three

Talk to your garden center about pests. Fruit flies like to lay eggs around bottle gourd plants. There are many methods for controlling pests. Any fruit that is infected by pests will need to be destroyed. Watch them carefully as they grow and take appropriate actions if you discover pest infestations. Beetles and plant lice can also be problematic.

You can harvest the gourds when they are still green. Don’t wait any longer as it’s best to harvest when they are green in color. The gourds need a place with plenty of airflows so they can dry. Be sure not to damage the skin when a gourd is drying as this is the gourd’s protective covering and the gourd will quickly rot. The method you use to cure and dry gourds are all individual preferences. Some like to leave the gourds on the vine to dry. Patience is needed as they take time to dry properly.