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Gone With The Win

First year growing long gourds last year. I just put some seeds along a fence. And obviously they get much longer so I guess I need to get these guys up in the air about 10 ft and let them dangle down

4/22/2019 8:22:05 PM

Lake Oswego, OR

You are correct. It would be beneficial to build some type of shelf\panel horizontally away from the top of the fence, so they may hang freely.

4/23/2019 12:11:48 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=257792 This shows my trellis a few years ago. I since added extensions coming out 4' from the cattle panel hoops and covered with woven wire fencing. I also have 4' of fencing hanging down and use tall tomato cages to get the gourds up to the fencing. I don't run the fencing down to the ground due to the possibility of flash flooding. I have raised beds on each side and a ditch down the middle. I plant on one side one year, then switch to the other side the next. My neighbor, Pete Caspers' father built a portable trellis on skids that he can move around with his tractor so he can always be planting in fresh soil.

4/23/2019 12:42:25 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

It also helps to protect the stem from getting kinked as the gourd grows. I use foam pipe insulation between the stem and the trellis wires. I also use a soft cloth or stretchy tape wrapped around the top of the gourd and tie that to the trellis to keep weight off the stem. If I get a real good one going, I will hang a 2x4 from the trellis with a screw eye and heavy cord and tape the gourd on with electrical tape. As the gourd grows the tape will stretch and you may need to replace it. I drive a stake in the ground and tape the board to that so it doesn't blow around in the wind. I learned the hard way, having some nice gourds falling to the ground and breaking. If you have them taped to the board, it is a lot safer for them when you go to pick them.

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=226444 Shows the top of the gourd and http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=226443 shows the bottom. I since dug the center ditch deeper.

4/23/2019 12:59:14 PM

I. Falls, Minn

I built mine 10ft. Last year I grew one 126 inches. You are better to go a little longer to start with. I will add two feet to the legs this year. Movable is the way to go. I have to change soil every couple of years.

4/23/2019 2:37:06 PM