Drying Gourds

With the exception of the Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest, a handful of native gourds (Cucurbita genus) can be found growing in the United States.

Members of the Cucurbita genus are called soft-skinned gourds, and along with Lagenaria (hard-skinned gourds), they represent the most popular decorative holiday gourds.

If you stop and think for a moment, it sounds logical that the initial discovery of a gourd's ornamental utility was made by individuals that found the dried gourds lying on the ground, well after the growing season concluded.

A simple two step process is recommended for anyone interested in increasing the yield of dried ornamental gourds.

First, drying gourds begins by harvesting them. Most experts recommend allowing the gourds to remain on the vine until ripened, and the vine is brown.

When ripe the gourds should be clipped from the vine (leaving some of the vine on the gourd), rinsed and disinfected with a very mild (2%) bleach wash, and set off the ground in an open space.

Once prepared, the gourds are ready to dry. Air circulation and time are the dried gourd's best ally.

Provide the gourds with a well ventilated, open space, for the duration of the drying process. Depending on the size and type of gourd in question, drying takes anywhere from a couple of weeks to six months.

Many people periodically check for, and clean mold from, their gourds during the drying process.

Shaking a lightweight gourd and hearing the seeds rattle is usually a good indication the gourd is properly dried.

© 2009-2011 Patricia A. Michaels