2008 "crop"

I planted banana gourds in pots. Here's my first little darling -- and here's hoping it survives! We're already in the 90s -- both temperature and humidity. I water these 2x a day.

Looking good!! Jo

Bad news. I went home yesterday and it was dead as a doornail. Just a brown squishy gourd-shpaed thing. Ah, well. It's not like I don't have a gazillion gourds in the garage ready to be worked on.

:(

You know, brigidlily, my baby gourds have all done the same thing! They get an inch or two long, turn icky, then dry up. I was actually wondering if this is "normal". I am not too concerned (yet!) . . . my vines are looking better each week, green and growing.

I suspect they're not getting fertilized? This one was maybe just a little over an inch long.

Wouldn't they need to be fertilized in order for the gourd to form? That is the only reason I keep my ants around . . . they are busy little buggers, getting into the pollen, and transfering to the next bloom!

Ok . . . so when they (ants) get into MY domain, though - all bets are off!

High five on the domain issue, Syrumani!

The base of the female flower IS a tiny gourd, so I don't know the answer to that question. I don't hold out a lot of hope for this set of gourds. They have to like the ground better than pots.

I also should check for frass, but since they're in pots I didn't really think that would be a problem. Hmmm.

frass?

When the larva of (I'm pretty sure it's a squash borer) eats the stem from the inside, eventually making its ugly way up to the fruit, it leaves waste matter right at the bottom of the plant. Looks like wet sawdust. That's frass.

eewww

Ah. I'll have to go and look for it after I get home tonite.

It's good to check now and then. You can do surgery on the plant -- I've done it, and if I can, anyone can. I'll find the link for the procedure and post it for you.

Well, I can't find that thread to save me.

So... what you do if you see frass is you take a razor and cut the stem lengthwise, pulling it apart as little as possible until you see the larva. Start as close to the root as possible and go slowly to minimize the damage you're doing. Once you find the thing, which looks like a fat white grub, stab it with a toothpick and yank it out of there. I put it where the birds can find it. Then set some kind of splint (toothpicks, popsicle sticks, whatever) along the stem you've just cut and wrap it up so it can heal.

I cannot remember what I wrapped it with. I believe it was masking tape. The stem will heal itself pretty quickly, and you'll have saved that plant.

You sound like a surgeon....do you make appointments? LOL Jo

Interesting . . . I hope I won't have to do it, but at least now I'll know what to do!

It's not very difficult, just a little nerve-wracking.

Yes, Jo, I do make appointments. Just send my plane ticket and I'll be out there in a flash! ;}

Reuters newsflash: First squash surgeon identified in Texas, awarded Honorary Ag-Med Degree from Texas A&M.

:D

If I could only GET to my wild squash plants to check for borers. The two that I have seen have stems so thick that I'm hoping they'll be impervious to the buggers.

Welcome, Hineni...I've lived all over Virginia but have never heard of Virginia Bound...LOL What part of Virginia are you "bound" for?

Jo

Heh, I guess I should change that now that I'm here huh? Closest actual township is Damascus, southwestern part of the state. And thanks for the welcome :)

BOY! You are lucky you had good breaks or you would have ended up in TENN! LOL You live not to far from our very own DARIUS....and I'll be over that way about the end of Sept. Going over to Beckley Area of WV.....may stop to see Darius again....plus another good DG friend in Johnston City, TN...maybe we can get together. Jo

Thanks for the degree, Hineni!

Anybody with nice gourds hanging around? The only ones I have this year are in pots and not doing very well, though I still have hope; and a volunteer over by the fence that looks pretty good but so far no blossoms.

Yep, Darius has been a great help - especially since I'm car-less. Maybe she'll bring you over to visit Jo, and by then maybe, just maybe, this place will be cleaned up a bit!

I have a mystery curcurbit in the 'volunteer' garden. It has tendrils, but not doesn't have cuke flowers. Possibly a gourd or winter squash. Waiting for fruit signs to see if I can identify it. There was a gourd here when we arrived, but the puppies loved it to death with their teeth :)

"loved it to death with their teeth..." I love it! Too funny.

Darius can be a big help to anyone.

I will cross my fingers that it is a gourd! I have seeds if you want some for next years planting.

Brigid ...I love it too...I think she will fit in very well in this forum, don't you? Jo

brigidlily - These are the only gourds formed for me so far, and they're not even hardshelled ones! I've got 3 loofa vines going, and so far just 3 loofa!

I planted more short handle dipper seeds in this pot over the weekend . . . nothing yet!

Brigidlily - that's the term I use now for all their off moments, which have really been pretty few and far between to have two pups at once. During the two weeks at a time that it is just me and the dogs, I have a pretty consistent routine. I'm up early and in bed early...haha! When J was here we slept in one morning, and I awoke to a pretty confetti porch. They had shredded newspaper all over it - a small protest I guess because I wasn't up at dawn to feed them :)

Jo - I know nothing about gourds, or types, or much of anything at all. But I'd love to try some seeds, even if just to give the pups some more adventure...hahaha! I've seen birdhouse gourds at roadside places, and I have a shower luffa (for some reason I thought those came from sea sponges???), and...what are short handle dippers? I sense more research is in order (adds it to her list already as long as her leg). So much dirt and so little time!!!!

Thanks for the warm welcome :)

Well, this is certainly the forum to learn about gourds...LOL

I met a DG'er from Tucson over in Bisbee Saturday...and we went to the Famer's Market over there...she bought plants and I bought Gourd seeds....not just any gourd seeds...these were for HUGE gourds...one of my friends has one of his big gourds and a native American named Charlie Onehorse Hill...made it into a drum for her....I must get a picture of that big drum. He sells the cured gourds for $50.00...when he has any.

I will see that you get gourd seeds before time to plant next year! Jo

Wow, Jo, I'd love to see that drum. My gourdwork is sporadic at best, but I'm trying to make musical gourds. All I have so far is a shakere, but hopefully this fall I'll have time to sit in the garage and work (when the temps and humidity aren't both in the 90s...)

I know what you mean...my whole house is a craft room...much to my friends woe...I have to clean off the table when I have company for dinner...then I can't find anything again. LOL Jo

I have two gourd plants growing in the big pots this year, in hopes of getting a few gourds to hold my saved seeds. Picture: my little gourd with a carved picture on and with some newly gathered seeds in.

That is pretty....did you carve it? Jo

Oh, that's pretty! Would you stain it and then carve out the design, I guess?

Yes, by myself. After drawing the picture, I carved it with a little sharp knife. Hard work but fun.
Gourds are fine vines, worthy planting a few if you have enough space to let them spread over. One important thing is that you do not pluck the gourds until they are fully ripe, that is, till the shells become extremelely hard.

Lol.. I'm alot like Jo, if I have to clean off my table, there goes my train of thought and I can't find anything..

Well, I've got some vines going and got a couple of gourds forming too..

so far, 2 Apple Boule gourds (warty gourds) they are already on slings, they grow fast, and a couple of regular apple gourds, then there are two types of mini gourds growing one mini swan, mini bushel and maybe a mine bottle, can't tell till they stop growing if they are really going to stay mini..

I'm hoping that at least the one vine I've got for the Extra long dipper gourd makes it, it looks awfully small leaved compared to the rest.

How are everyone's plants doing.. I'll take photos later..

A.

Jianhua,

Very pretty! I need to get to work on MY 2007 gourds, instead of all the worrying I've been doing over the paltry 2 or 3 in my 2008 garden this year...
You're a very good artist! Was it a carving knife, made specifically for carving? Or just a little craft knife?

I'm afraid I'd cut off a finger or two were I to try carving.
LOL...
Everyone else here knows about my "X-acto knife" accident earlier this year! I was so delirious.... I remember posting PICTURES here of the nasty gash I accidentally put IN my leg when the gourd I was "shaving" slipped (had to go to ER, get 3 or 4 stitches!)...

jip

just a little craft knife can do the work.
i am a poor artisan, and sometimes i have to learn the trade with the price of shedding a drop of blood. hehehe
I am growing two gourd vines this year, hoping they will bear a couple of gourds for me.
By then i will share with you my new artifaces.
jianhua