Fauna Folkart - 411
If you have grown gourds for the first time and want to know what to expect read on....
These are mini gourds, that "volunteered" from a gourd that I opened up outdoors. Volunteer gourds, have always been the best gourds I've ever grown. They're sorta like found money.
PICKING:
You don't pick gourds like you do most any other crop that you grow. You wait until frost has killed the vine and then harvest. You CAN pick them earlier but the stem should be drying or have dried. This provides the gourds the optimum chance to reach full maturity. Picking them too soon before they have a chance for their walls to thicken up is gambling. Thin walled gourds are prone to collapse. It generally takes approximately 90 days from fruit set to reach maturity. Now if you live in the deep south you have longer to grow them and you can start picking them when the stems begin to brown.
DRYING:
Once you have harvested it takes (depending on the size of the gourd) 3-6 months, sometimes longer for the really huge gourds to dry. Gourds are mostly water and they will be quite heavy when green. You can do several things for the drying process, you can just leave them in the field, but I wouldn't do that. OR you can set them atop wooden pallets, something that allows air to circulate around them. Don't bring them in the house, or if you do be prepared to be kept busy washing them down frequently with a solution of bleach and water. Why? When the gourds dry out they mold, this is natural DON'T THROW THEM OUT THEY ARE NOT GOING BAD!!! It's because of the mold that I don't recommend bringing them in your home to dry. Especially if you or someone in your home have allergies to molds. AND the mold is really quite nasty to mess with while they are still drying out. You can put them in the garage for the winter or maybe a barn (make sure that critters aka mice/rats don't get into them).
There is also a method of green peeling them that will help speed the drying process. There is an outer layer of "skin" on the gourd. (you gotta remove the skin whether you use this method or allow them to dry on their own). You can "peel" the skin off, you really sort of scrape it off, it takes a while but it can be done. Then set it out to dry. You will have less blemishes this way.
WHEN ARE THEY DONE DRYING:
Assuming you use the first method you will have to clean them. You will know they are ready because they will be hard, they will be very very light weight and more than likely the seeds will rattle about inside. Wash them to remove the mold (use bleach if you want to - but it's not a requirement) dishwashing liquid and water is enough. Then you have to remove the skin. The best and easiest way to do this is using one of those copper scrubbers you buy at the supermarket (it won't harm the gourd at all) The molds will probably leave behind some discolorations. These can be very interesting patterns sometime even slightly colorful and you can use them to your advantage if you are a pyro-engraver and use stains.
WHAT ABOUT THE INSIDE:
It all depends on what you have in mind to create. When I make lamps I just leave all of that stuff on the inside. The seeds are encased in a fibrous membrane. Some folks into paper crafting as well as into gourds use this for paper making projects. If your project requires the inside to be cleaned, i.e., a birdhouse, once you make the hole use a piece of wire, a kitchen knife or something else you have handy to scrape out the innards. If you are making a functional birdhouse you don't have to worry yourself too much about it, the birds will probably use what you leave behind in the building of their nest. (I've hung out gourd birdhouses, and not knowing about a new resident, walked by and heard a liitle faint tapping sound. It was the sound of the birds pecking on the inside of the gourd.
Mescalero Apache Gourd Scraper.
This is a great tool to clean out the inside of a gourd.
If you are planning on making a bowl then this step needs more attention, once you get to the inside of the wall (You'll know where the wall and the memebrane meet when you get to work) you will want to sand it but don't expect it to be as smooth as the outside. Some folks will decoupage tissue paper, or paper bags, etc. on the inside. Some just paint or stain and finish.
COMPLETION:
This is the fun part! Go for it! Do what makes you happy! Acrylic paint is great, stains used are generally leather stains, pyro-engrave if you like, you can also use shoe polish, colored pencils, etc. Then on everything (except I don't think it would work on the shoe polish) apply a sealer. I use polyurethane, you can use flat, satin, or gloss, it's all up to you. You are only limited by your imagination!
Most importantly, have fun!
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