Gourd Crafting Tricks

Do you remember the first gourd you ever saw? Where were you? Was it decorated? Was it a gourd bird house? When did you first wonder if "I could do that"?

I saw my first gourd in 1989 at a street fair. It was love at first sight...and incredulity. I couldn't believe something that size was grown on a vine. I had never thought about it. And that loofa sponges also come from plants and not from the ocean? Get outta here!

I bought my first crafted gourd that day and I still have it. I also secretly thought I could make that something like that too. I headed off on a field trip to a gourd farm. Raw gourds curing from the vines are gross looking. Moldy all over. Yuck! I would have thrown such a thing away.

They showed me samples of what gourds look like after they dry and are cleaned. That is what I call a transformation! And that was the beginning of a great journey for me.

Now is the time to be choosing your gourd seeds. I am being inundated with seed catalogs these days but the selection of gourd seeds is dismal. Birdhouse gourds are popular and available everywhere, even Wal-mart. But I have to tell you gourds come in dozens of shapes and sizes. Let yourself explore the possibilities.

If I were a rapper I could have a field day. Sing along... Apple, banana, swan, penguin, cannonball, kettle, tobacco box... They come in sizes from teeny tiny miniatures to giant bushels.

I myself love crafting gourds but your art may be growing and drying. There are now at least 23 state chapters of the the American Gourd Society and most have gourd shows. Competition includes both hard and soft shell dried gourds and crafted gourds. You have a great chance at winning a ribbon or two without even picking up a paintbrush. If you grow the gourd with the largest circumference may even win some money.

One of the secrets of winning is starting with gourd seed that is true to type. This means that the gourd variety was hand pollinated and isolated from other gourd varieties. If the gourds are open pollinated and planted near to other varieties the seed may not produce gourds that look like the gourd it came from though you may get interesting or unusual shapes. This is only a problem if you intend to sell gourd seed or if you are entering categories requiring 3 uniform gourds of a specific type.

The best place to find true to type gourd seed is on the internet by searching for gourd seeds or from growers referred to you by local chapters. Seeds and sometimes plants are always available at gourd shows. If you intend to grow gourds from the seeds of a gourd you already own, it is wise to do a germination test (Place a few seeds between damp paper towels and give them up to 2 weeks to sprout. If they do, you have viable seed) before planting so you don't waste precious growing time waiting for seeds to sprout that are no longer viable. You can't tell how old a gourd is by looking at it.

Gourds need as long and warm a growing season as possible. Start them about the same time as you plant tomatoes. Harvest them when the vine dries or at the first frost. Drying gourds takes 2-12 months, depending on the size.

Now that spring fever is in the air, find your seeds, get them started, and plant!

Gourd shows are the best in family entertainment! 23 states have gourd societies and most of those have a gourd show centered around a theme. This year the KY theme is "Shape Up with Gourds" and it happens May 17 & 18. Come on down, over, or up.

Come as a spectator, enter as a grower or crafter, or even as a vendor. There is always a need for volunteers as well. If you have never been to a gourd show, you are missing a great time. Plan to stay the day or weekend. Take in a class or two. You can join us for dinner or breakfast. Music, auctions and laughs are had by all.

One year I was at a show where people were encouraged to wear gourd hats to breakfast. It was an election year as it is now and someone had made an elephant hat that took top honors. You had to be there to get the joke.

Now I tend to be on the shy side. The first year I sat on the sidelines and watched but the spirit was infectious and after a first year of watching, I joined in the festivities myself.

You might wonder what you can do at a gourd show. First there are exhibits of the dried and crafted gourds. Demonstrations on gourd cleaning and crafting. Vendors of both crafted and dried gourds. Spring shows will also feature live plants. You can sign up for classes. On Saturday, the kids can make and race gourd derby cars. And the Saturday dinner boasts of a secret surprise.

So join your local gourd society. Get the handbook for the show and pick a category or two to enter. In any case, come have a gourd raising good time. I dare you.