Carefully Harvest and Cure Gourds
for Lasting Beauty, Longer Life

You and the children had great fun this past summer growing a whole host of interestingly shaped gourds. Now, you wonder, what can I do to preserve these beauties as long as possible? They're perfect for home decorating, for crafts and for useful utensils. 

The preservation of gourds depends on which type or types you grew.  Generally these fall into two groups: the small ornamentals and the larger ones used for utensils, birdhouses and feeders as well as for decorations. 

The ornamental gourds have smooth or warted surfaces. Their colorings range from green to yellow to orange to white and combinations of all hues.  Included in this group are pear, egg, and other interesting shapes with smooth and warted skins. Vines producing these forms have large yellow flowers which open during the daytime.

Then there is the other group, the large gourds - the dippers, bottles, baskets or kettles, calabashes and Herculean clubs. These are produced by white flowers that open at night.

The small ornamental fruits should be picked as soon as they are mature and firm. Harvest before frost or they will grow soft and not keep. If they've been growing on the ground, first wash with soapy water. To prevent the development of fungus diseases on the gourds, disinfect within 24 hours of picking by washing in a mild chlorine solution or with rubbing alcohol. Next dry them thoroughly in a warm dry place with good air circulation. From harvesting to curing, handle the gourds carefully to avoid bruises and scratches. The curing process may take up to two weeks while the gourds develop a tough, hard surface. Check the harvest regularly so that if soft or rotting gourds develop, they can be discarded at once. When dry the gourds can be protected with a coat of clear lacquer. Other acceptable coatings are white shellac and floor or furniture wax. Gourds properly treated should remain in good condition for four to six months. 

Dipper and the other large gourds should be allowed to hang on the vine until late fall when the vines are killed by frost. Freezing does not harm the large, mature gourds. Once harvested, these hard shell gourds must be kept in a warm, dry site to cure. 

Fungi working on the surface of large gourds often form a decorative pattern and therefore disinfecting, as for the smaller ornamentals is sometimes not done. This complete drying period may take several months when the sound of rattling seeds tells you the curing process is complete. Now they can be left as is, sanded, painted, waxed, sawed, or drilled into a variety of useful items. These gourds have a long life. They have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back to 2400 B.C. 

So this fall use the small gourds in attractive arrangements indoors and out to welcome the new season. The larger ones will have to wait until next year to become useful birdhouses or feeders, storage boxes and planters as well as clever decorations.