Jul
Egg Gourds
Posted in Ribbons | No Comments »How to harvest gourds?
I have grown many egg gourds and a few snake gourds this year. It is my first time with gourds. I have picked the egg gourds that are ready, they had dried up brown stems. They are laying outside to dry. That is all I know though. Could anyone tell me how long until they are dry? Do you have to skin them or does it fall off by itself? Do you have to hollow them or once they are dried they don't rot? I need to know just about everything regarding the gourds. I have browsed the internet and found about ten different answers, none agree with each other. Any information would be great. Thanks.
No no no! Do not pierce the gourds to make them dry faster! The best way to dry a gourd is to just let Nature take its course. Keep them in an airy, dry location until they are completely dry. Piercing the shell or rubbing away the outer skin will only encourage mold to reach the inside of the gourd where it will cause the whole thing to rot.
The gourds will develop a mold patina on the shell. This is normal. Once the gourds are dry, they will not rot. Whenever you're drying gourds you can expect some losses. Discard any that develop soft spots - they're not going to dry well so there's no use in keeping them.