FREE: Grow a gourd patch

Annual. Full sun, Generally 100 - 180 days till harvest
Hard skinned gourds tend to start out some shade of green, perhaps mottled with white. After drying or curing, they age to a tan or brown color. The soft skinned gourds are often multi-colored: orange, yellow, green, white and blue. They come in unpredictable shapes and often are covered in bumps and warts.

Gourds are ready for harvesting when the stems dry out and turn brown. the gourds with a few inches of stem intact. Throw out any bruised or soiled gourds, since they will continue to decline after picking.
Ornamental gourds can be cured or dried after harvesting, to harden and preserve them for use as decorations and in crafts.

Plant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. Seeds planted in cold, wet soil will probably rot before germinating. You can get a head start by starting seeds indoors about 4 weeks earlier. Using peat pots will lessen transplant shock.

Gourds require full sun and well-drained soil with neutral a pH of about 6.5 - 6.8 The vigorous vines are heavy feeds and soil rich in organic matter will improve yield.

Gourds need consistent watering, especially once fruit has set. You can feed by side dressing with organic matter or a balanced fertilizer when the vines start to blossom. Gourd vines can be self mulching, but use caution when weeding, since gourds are shallow rooted.

As with other members of the Cucurbitaceae family, gourds can have trouble with pollination. If pollinators are not abundant in the area, you may have to pollinate by hand, by removing the male blossoms and dusting them onto the female blossoms. The female blossoms can be distinguished by the tiny immature fruit at the base of the flower. It is normal for there to be several male blossoms produced before you spot a female blossom. Hard skinned gourds bloom in the evening and at night. Soft skinned gourds bloom during the day.