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Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

I am building a trellis for the long gourds, I bought 4x4 cedar posts, 10 ft long and cedar 2x4's 10ft is this enough room for one gourd, any advice??

4/4/2007 11:13:37 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

If the posts are only 10 feet long and you bury them 3 feet. You will end up with a 7 foot trellis. How are you going to grow a 127" Long Gourd.

4/5/2007 7:49:41 AM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

That's as tall a trellis the farm will allow me to have. Looks like I'll be digging a very deep hole.lol

Also how many gourds do you leave on a vine??

4/5/2007 10:19:55 AM

Montoursville, PA

A single vine will cover a mature full sized apple tree. From that vine there could be fifty gourds germinated. Got apple tree?

4/5/2007 11:40:08 AM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

Thanks, for the info, have to rethink how to grow em, So if I let just a few grow, that should get em a little bigger??

4/6/2007 4:23:31 PM

Pulaski Tn blkcloud@igiles.net

I usually let one grow on the ground and coil it up to look like a snake..pretty neat lookin!

4/10/2007 11:33:34 AM

Montoursville, PA

Start your culling early. No matter when save only the three or four best growing examples. Make a decision as new ones show up. Keep the fastest and maybe one or two into the middle of the grow and then wack them all off but your best remaining still growing fruit for the rest of the growing season. My ninety eight inch one was grown on nothing but pure organic compost and fertilizers with two foliar assists of kelp and fish. One plant in one apple tree is all I permit. I suggest that if you can make a growing rack that would be the way to grow but alas I can not build such a structure and stay within local rules of garden structue. I may not shade a neighbors patch and of course would not want to shade my own. What the apple tree does is of no issue.

4/11/2007 10:42:04 AM

Shenandoah Valley, VA USA

Greetings from the Shenandoah Valley of VA. Finally, I found a forum for growing LOOOOONG GOURDS!!! This is my first year for them and my son who is growing the BIG PUMPKINS is encouraging me. He gave me 3 seeds from Doc Gipe in PA and I got some others from a guy in NJ.

I'm growing Long Gourds only this season, and have ten plants growing up the tall trellises I've designed down behind the storage building using my hog panels in a different way. I hope they work.

Hoping to read more posts here and learn more about the world of long gourds. I've been a gourdhead since '96 and known in the gourd world as Shenanny.

Later, Nancy Shrum

7/9/2007 8:41:31 PM

Shenandoah Valley, VA USA

It's August 6, and my long gourds are REALLY GROWING. One is over 50 inches and I planted the seeds a little late in June directly in the ground due to broken arm. They are growing at least 4 inches per day now. This obcession is almost too much, and I am checking out the patch several times a day with my yardstck. Getting a good rain this pm, and that was really needed.

Pouring the seaweed and fish emulsion to them about every 3 or 4 days now. Will include a picture in my grower diary.

later, Nancy

PS: Am I the only female long gourd grower????

8/5/2007 7:42:12 PM

Shenandoah Valley, VA USA

Oops. I was a day ahead of myself in the last post. This is only the 5th.
Nancy

8/5/2007 7:58:13 PM

Shenandoah Valley, VA USA

Wondering if there is still interest in LONG GOURDS on this forum?!? Hoping to hear from others soon. :)
Nancy

8/5/2007 7:59:39 PM

Sparta, NC

Nancy welcome to long gourd growing. Last year was my 1st year and I'm hooked now. They normally grow for about 40 days. Mine are about 5-6 days old now and about a foot long or so. If you want more responses to your post it would be a good idea to repost because this post is on the 2nd page. Not many people will scroll thru looking for new messages. Christy Dieffenbaugher from Ohio grows long gours and does quite well with em along with growing giant pumpkins and cantelope.

8/5/2007 8:15:34 PM

Massillon, Ohio

hi nancy!! welcome to the world of long gourds. weird i stumbled upon this page, i was actually googling myself and saw my name here. LOL. sam is the long gourd king of the world. i didnt have much luck this year. i know the new world record was grown off a 126 jutras, and i grew one of those, but it did squat for me. i will try it again next year if i still have seeds.

i love long gourds !!!

10/27/2007 9:20:58 AM