Annuals: Newbie needs Help storing and caring for her first crop, 0 by Tree_Climber

Tree_Climber wrote:
I know there is a previous thread entitled "drying gourds", but I have a couple of questions that weren't touched on in that one. So I hope no one minds if I start a new one.

Below is a picture of my Apple Gourd harvest from this fall. It is the first time I have grown gourds, so even though I only got 10 gourds, I was very happy.

I left the gourds on the vine until the very end of Fall, and then I put them into my Garden Cart, and moved them under the porch that hangs over our walk out basement. (I put one in the screened porch, and it is still there)

I got nervous about them today, because of all the single digit and lower temps we are getting, so I brought them into the basement. Mistake????

I don't see any rot on them, but some have some black "mold?" But I thought that was what they were suppose to do ........... get moldy on the outside, which you scrape off.

Some of them still feel heavy ........ some feel light as a feather, but none of them have seeds that rattle, and you can tell that they are not completely dry.

What should I do next ........... or make sure I don't do.

Another question, if I wanted to scarifice some for seed, would the seed be "ready" now, or do I have to wait until they rattle?

Any suggestions on what I should use these for? It was fun growing them, but I really didn't plan ahead on what I wanted to do with them once I had them.... grin. I think I want to use them to decorate my gardens in some manner ... birdhouses or something different.