Gourds - Caveman's Club (Seeds)

Description

Named for its unique, large, club-shaped gourd. The fruit dries to a woody colour and texture and can be up to 1 m (3′) long. Best results are achieved from directly sowing into a sunny, warm, well drained garden in June. For cleaner fruit, vines can be trained to grow on a trellis. Cut ripe fruit from the vine when it becomes firm and no longer yields to to hand pressure. Be careful not to bruise the fruit.

How to Grow

Gourds are a hot weather crop. They need full sun and deep, rich, well drained, organic soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Before planting, work in lots of compost. Directly plant seed outdoors in late May to June 2.5 cm (1″) deep in hills 2.4 m (8′) apart with 4-6 seeds per hill. After germination, thin to 3 plants per hill. Seed can be started indoors 3 weeks before the plant out date. They do not transplant well–use paper or fibre pots that can be set directly in the soil. Protect mature fruits from frost and cold temperatures.