From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Upa Creek, Mo

Can I cross ornamental gourds into Jack B Little pumpkins?

Thanks

9/4/2011 8:36:54 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Yes you can as long as they are C pepo...Now if it is a hard shell gourd like a Bushel, Bowel, spinner, Long gourd than No. Some of our best pumpkins ever were volunteers out of the compost pile.

9/6/2011 1:20:23 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks, the small ornamental gourds came from a variety pack and each seed that I randomly chose has produced the small, hard shell variety (Spinner I believe after searching google).

I asked because I had a bunch of blooming females on the Jack B Littles with no males so I tried with the gourd males.

9/6/2011 1:29:20 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Shannon or anybody else I have one more questions about gourds (ornamental). How do you know when mature... stems go dry and brown? I have some that quit growing, and the plants have about 10 days max left in them, but the gourds are about 3 weeks old with green stems.

Thanks

9/6/2011 9:06:03 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

I dont have the chart in front of me..So I cant tell you for sure but if it has color it is most likely a C pepo.

Gourds are mature when the shell turns hard and they stop growing. The stem sometime will brown up but not always. If mature the gourd will keep its shape. To Save them place them in a garage in the rafters where it has no direct sunlight.

There is variety of Orange pumpkin called Ironsides that keeps like a hard shell gourd that we emboss on.

9/8/2011 1:28:21 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks again

9/8/2011 2:02:15 PM