Gardeners’ Forum: “Birdhouse Gourds”
Back to Gardeners’ ForumBirdhouse Gourds
Posted by Louise on Friday, August 1, 2008 8:50 pm ADTI have several Birdhouse Gourds which I grew from seed,they are quite big now with large green leaves ,looking very healthy,but after the flower blooms,some of them just die away,while others are forming the little gourd,can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong,I am in zone 5b Thanks.
re: Birdhouse Gourds
Posted by Esther Allarie on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 4:06 am ADTThe flowers die every day after they bloom,that's OK. There are male amd female flowers.The female flowers die after they are fertilized and begin to grow a little gourd. The male flowers die because they have supplied there pollen and have done there job. I notice that all female flowers do not make a gourd. Perhaps they were not visited by a bee or moth.But the flowers still "die" In the 2 plants that I have, the 3 inch bright white flowers bloom more night. I see lots of moths busy flying around them, It is my opinion that the moths polinate the flowers. There are also bees around them in the daytime. Your gourd will form under the part that is left when the withered flower falls off. You are lucky and get a little gourd starting to form, don't squeeze or touch it, it will bruise. I love my big plant, but I don't expect to be making birdhouses. I live in zone 3 and we will have frost in 3 weeks. I think next year I will plant them In Jan on the windowsill, and prune it so the plant has less fruit to produce. In the meantime I am having fun. I have to tie it away from the mailbox every 2nd day, and when I open the screen door a branch falls in. It is climbing upwards so its running along the eaves trough now. Enjoy your BHG plants. Hope you get some gourds.
