Grow a Birdhouse Gourd in the Garden This Year

Virtues: The birdhouse gourd is a wonderfully easy vine to grow, pumping out its signature bottle-shaped fruit on long, rambling vines. Growing one is just a fun summer project for the whole family.

Common name: Birdhouse gourd, calabash, bottle gourd

Botanical name: Lagenaria siceraria

Season: Plant in spring, harvest in fall. Figure about 140 days from sowing seeds to harvesting gourds.

Flowers/fruit: White squash-type flowers give way to light green, rounded fruits with narrow waists. One vine can produce 12 gourds.

Foliage: Large, medium green leaves line the vines. These can hide the fruits, so look carefully.

Habit: Birdhouse gourd is an annual vine that can reach up to 30 feet.

How to grow a birdhouse gourd: Sow seeds outside after all danger of frost has passed, or start indoors up to 8 weeks before your typical last frost date. Plant the large, flat seeds about an inch deep. If you're starting indoors, biodegradable containers are a smart choice because you can plant the whole thing outside with the seedling—gourd vines can be touchy about transplanting. These gourds grow best on a low (about six-inch-high) mound of soil with gently sloped sides. If you're growing multiple vines, plan for three vines per mound, with mounds spaced about six feet apart. Feed at planting time and again after about a month. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Cut back on watering in late summer, and stop watering entirely in the fall. To save space and avoid flat spots on your birdhouse gourds, train the vines up a trellis or fence. Leave the gourds on the vine until after the first frost, then harvest them gently and put them in a cool, well-ventilated indoor space to cure. This can take up to three months. If mold starts to appear, just wipe it off with a mild bleach solution. When you can hear the seeds rattling inside, the gourd is fully dried and ready for crafting.

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