Decorative Gourd Growing Season
While each variety of gourd may differ slightly in time to maturity and growing conditions, the following generally applies to all gourd varieties.
Gourds are a warm-weather vegetable and should be planted in late spring, two weeks after the last frost. Gourds are very sensitive to the cold and have a long growing season. If you’re in the Northeast, you can start your gourds inside two or three weeks in advance to give them a head start. Gourds grow best when planted in areas that get an average of six to eight hours of direct sunlight a day.
On average, it takes 120 to 180 days for gourds to reach maturity (depending on variety), and you will know that they are ready to harvest when the plant has a 96” to 144” spread and is 24” to 36” tall. Fruit size will vary between species.
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