Now what?

Hey Jo, This is from your seeds. How and where do I dry them? How long before I can paint them? DH said put them in the greenhouse but I don't think so. I would keep them wet and besides, there isn't enough room.

NO, do not put them in the GH! Put them up on a pallet so there is some air circulation underneath, and leave them out all winter. The freeze/thaw will cure them although they will look moldy. By next spring, they will be light, the seeds will rattle inside, and then you can clean them inside and out and decorate. You may lose a couple if there isn't good air circulation around them.

I tried to "hurry" the curing of a few in a closet with a dehumidifier one year. Lost them all.

Liz...I would have left them on the vine a while longer...although in your area they might freeze since they still have water inside them and that would burst them. Nice looking crop!! Save me a nice Swan Gourd. Jo

Wow! What a nice harvest, Liz! Purty!

I'd do some of what darius says...Put them where they can get some air circulation. However, when mine were fresh-picked the freeze "burnt" many of them and quite a few got soft because of it and they rotted. If they are really heavy for their size they are loaded with water and that may have been the cause of it. I'd be more inclinced to put them in a protected area (out of rainfall/snowfall, keep them above extreme freezing temps) for a couple weeks. Once the moisture content begins to fade away then they don't need to be babied as much.

Also, if you're going to save seeds then by all means don't let them freeze...gourd seed quickly becomes non-viable if exposed to freezing temps. (And also remember that gourds readily cross with each other so that might be factor in whether you want to keep them or not.) (Course now, I'm one of those that would be interested in seeing what kind of offspring comes about because of any crossing!) :>)

Thanks Shoe, thank all of you. DH put them up in the barn , so hope they will be safe. So you have to let them dry for a year?

Nah, they should be fine by spring when it warms up again. Shake them... of the seeds rattle, and they feel very light, they are dry. They WILL have a scuzzy moldy surface but that scrapes off.

I dried a gourd in a month. I put it in the oven and the piolet light did all the work, just have to be careful to remember to take the gourd out of the oven before preheating for dinner!

Hey...that's a great idea...if I had a gas oven! I know it will come in handy for some. Jo

I'd let you use mine but... thats a long way to go for some gourd drying...
Dena

WEll...they dry rather well here on the vine...you know how it is with Arizona..."but it's a DRY heat"...LOL Jo

ha ha ha ha !!!
Yeah at least you have that going for you.
Dena

Dry???? What is that. Heheh. I have been wet for the last 28 days and counting. I miss the dry but I sure do love the green. Looking forward to a nice hot and dry summer but I may be dreaming.
The webs are starting to come back again. I'm speaking of the ones between my toes. Hehe. Loving Oregon
Jan

This message was edited Jan 19, 2006 1:23 PM

Hi Jan...Glad you got settled in...we are in another drought situation...no winter rains again! No snow on the mountain tops either! Do you want some gourd seeds? Did you look at my Apple Gourd...You could bead a beautiful Apple Gourd...wouldn't take as long either...LOL Jo