Kids Can Grow a Gourd Garden This Summer
Children Plant Seeds for Fun Fall Crafts Like Birdhouses or Drums
May 17, 2009
Vegetable gardens are nice, but why not try planting something a little different this spring? Fast-growing gourds will hold kids' interest during their time on the vine, and when they dry, musical instruments, birdhouses, bowls, vases, or crazy painted animals are all easy craft projects families can enjoy together.
Finding Seeds for the Gourd Garden
Seeds for birdhouse gourds, dippers, and ornamentals are common stock in just about any store that sells gardening supplies. To find the really big and crazy shaped gourd seeds, though, parents and kids will need to search online. Googling “gourd seeds” will bring up a long line of gourd farms happy to ship seeds from their last year’s crop. Parents can show their kids the wide variety of shapes and sizes and ask them what they think they could make with each gourd. After kids have selected a few packs of seeds parents can place the order.
How to Plant Gourd Seeds
If seeds arrive sometime in March, kids can give them a head start by soaking them a day or two. Parents can spread a layer of paper towels onto a cookie sheet and allow their children to spread out their seeds. Parents and kids will want to label the seeds or draw a map of the tray to know which are which when they go to plant them. Finally, kids can cover the seeds with one more layer of paper towels and drizzle water over the tray until the towels are moist.
Parents will want to keep the seeds damp for a day or two. Germination occurs more quickly if seeds are kept in a warm place.
Once the seeds have soaked, parents should let their kids examine the tray for changes. They’ll probably notice that some seeds have already begun to sprout.
Kids will have a fun and messy time filling peat pots with potting soil and planting their seeds points down in the dirt. The pots should remain indoors until the danger of frost is over. Giving gourds a head start is especially beneficial in cooler climates with shorter growing seasons. Gourds need at least 120-150 days before they’re mature on the vine.
When planting time finally arrives, kids can plant the gourds – peat pots and all – in the garden. Gourd vines can grow along the ground, but families will get the best results if they plant their crop in a very sunny spot near a chain link fence or trellis that the gourds can climb.
How to Grow Healthy Gourds
Gourds are one of those hearty plants that practically grow on their own. To prevent fungus, kids should water them in the morning so the soil dries out during the afternoon.
Vines should make an appearance in almost no time at all. Once they start growing, watch out. Gourd vines grow up to a foot each day. Families can actually watch the tendrils moving during the heat of a summer day. By fall, the vines will be up to 50 feet long.
Gourds should start appearing in June or July. They change just about as rapidly as their vines.
How to Harvest the Gourds
No matter how excited kids are, they’ll need to allow the gourds to remain on the vine until the foot of stem leading to the gourd is brown. Removing gourds too early will prevent them from drying properly, so it’s best to leave them on as long as possible.
Kids can set their gourd crop out to dry in a garage or shed. Parents shouldn’t throw gourds out or be alarmed if they become spotted with mold. All the moisture inside the gourds is expelled through their skin and this inevitably causes some mold. Parents can simply wipe them down with bleach and let them continue to dry. Kids will know when they’re ready by the tell-tale rattling of seeds inside.
Now the real fun begins. Kids’ imaginations can run wild with crazy projects for their gourd crop. Parents can help make bird houses, painted gourd creatures, musical instruments, or decorative bowls and vases. By the time gourds dry, Christmas is just around the corner, and gourd crafts make excellent gift ideas for teachers, family, and friends.
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