Gardening Tips for the Gourd Grower

March - It's time to start your gourd seeds indoors. Some gardeners soak their seeds overnight to help jump start the germination process. Simply lay some paper towels out onto a shallow tray or cookie sheet. Then space your seeds out so that each variety is seperate from one another. Be sure to make a map of your seeds on a separate sheet of paper to identify your varieties. I generally put the small seeds next to the larger ones to help identify them in case any wander in the soaking process. Drape another paper towel on top and gently water the tray.

I've experimented with soaking the seeds for up to a week and typically will put a heating pad underneath to speed things up. I use a gardening heating pad that is waterproof and stays at 80 degrees.

Don't let your seeds dry out.

After soaking, then pot them up in peat pots or styrofoam cups with holes punched in the bottom for drainage.

Keep them warm and moist.

Once you see sprouts emerge from the soil then place them in a well lit area. You can place grow lights a few inches over them if you have the space.

You will then have good size plants to transplant to your garden in about 4 or 5 weeks.

Wait until the last frost in your area to transplant. That's generally the middle of April here in central Virginia.

They like all day sun and plenty of compost.

Photos of gourds in the Garden

Gourd seeds placed between paper towels on tray.

Gourd seeds placed on paper towel with large bushel seeds placed next to smaller seeds.

Fold paper towel over seeds and gently water so the seeds don't migrate.

Soak seeds at least overnight. Some growers soak them until seeds sprout to plant.

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