Hello, I'm new here and couldn't find specific info on certain gourd growing. I've been growning birdhouse gourds a few years but this year is different. I changed some soil conditioning/fertilizers and this year instead of getting 2 or 3 gourds per plant I'm getting 8 to 10. I'm wondering if I should thin the gourds per plant a little to get othere to grow larger? Thanks for any info you can provide me with.
Birdhouse Gourds
- Thread starter lovibond
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Since no one replied yet I will even though I don't have experience with them. I love growing giant things. Giant tomatoes the past few years but I use to grow Atlantic giant pumpkins and giant squash. My biggest pumpkin was just under 700 lbs, not really that impressive compared to pro growers but for a backyard gardener like me I was happy. I would cull the blossoms and keep only a few fruit per plant and choose the ones farthest from the roots on the vine. Let them grow and keep the biggest ones, cull the ones that are runts. Give it a ton of nutrients non stop. I even put umbrellas in the in to shade the plants at peak heat. Lots of rain water and fertilizer tea. They will get big enough to house big bird if you do all this.
Also trim every second vine that grows off of the main one and burry the ends of them once they stop growing. And only grow fruit from the main vine. Make sure to keep them straight and don't let them grow into each other. On a giant pumpkin you don't want more then 4 mains, 3 is ideal.
That is if birdhouse gourds grow like pumpkins and squash. As I said I never grew them. If it's like zucchini it's not an option but still cull most blossoms and pick the biggest and best that set to grow.
That is if birdhouse gourds grow like pumpkins and squash. As I said I never grew them. If it's like zucchini it's not an option but still cull most blossoms and pick the biggest and best that set to grow.
Could just be the nature of how a cucurbit grows. Last year I had all kinds of cucumbers. This year the numbers have dropped because they are producing more male flowers for some reason. My butternut squash however is producing quite a few female flowers and fruits.
If they are getting enough nutrients, I'd just leave the gourds on the vine.
If they are getting enough nutrients, I'd just leave the gourds on the vine.
My tomato plants are always the same, beefsteak. But I always take a few and cut off all blossoms accept for a few. All the other tomatoes are average, the plants I cull the blossoms and fruit but leave only a few to grow end up massive. A plant only takes in so much nutrients and uses that for the fruit. If a large plant only has a few fruit to grow it will put all the energy into them rather then a bunch of fruit.
Thanks for the input. I'll probably snip off a few since gourds I grow never get very big anyway. I would guess a lot of that comes for limited sun since I have a lot of trees. Tried bushel basket gourds a few times and they never get above volley ball size.
Thanks again.
Thanks again.