Purple Martin Gourd Project - Fall Update
Hopefully, everyone was successful with their gourd project this summer and can now see several large gourds sitting in their gardens. Follow these simple steps this fall as you begin the drying process for your gourds.
Step 1: Do not harvest your gourds until the plants and vines die. (A hard frost will finish off your plants and will not harm the mature gourds.) You will know they are dead when the leaves drop off the vine and the vines turn brown. This will ensure that they are fully mature and can successfully be dried. (Rain will not harm the gourds but you do not want to leave them sitting in water or on wet soil for a long period of time.
Step 2: When the vines have dried or turned brown, you will need to harvest them. Using a pair of sharp clippers, cut the vine leading to the gourd, leaving a stem that is about 3” in length attached to the gourd.
Step 3: Move the gourds to a dry place such as a garage, shed or under a porch with ventilation.
Step 4: Hang them or place them on a screen of chicken wire or a shelf so that they are not touching each other. By not having them touch, and hanging them, it will allow air to move all around them which will speed up the drying process.
Step 5: Monitor the gourds about once a week, looking for gourds that are rotting. Turning black is not a sign of rotting. The black is an indication that mold is growing on the outside of the gourd. This mold will not harm the gourd if the gourd is fully mature and hardened. If you find a gourd that has gotten soft or is collapsing (rotting), remove it from the area and toss it in the composter or garden. As the gourds dry out, they will become a lot lighter in weight.
Step 6: The drying process will vary from gourd to gourd but should be complete in January and February.
Step 7: Be patient! Steps on how to make bird houses out of the gourds and how to erect a purple martin nesting site will be provided in January.
Original source can be found here.
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