Colorful Ornamental Gourds

Colorful ornamental gourds (pumpkins) are cultivated varieties of the well-known common pumpkin (lat. Cucurbita pepo) from the Cucurbitaceae family of plants. It wasn't long ago that the diverse shapes of small gourds caused quite a stir, people didn't know them and mass cultivation was out of the question. Today the situation has changed, seeds of various types of ornamental gourds are available and moreover, their cultivation is no more complicated than growing a classic pumpkin. Give it a try too.

Growing Ornamental Pumpkins

Ornamental pumpkin seeds are sown in early April in a prepared seed tray or in pots. Place two seeds in each hole. To help the seeds germinate quickly, place the sowing in a warm and bright location. Keep the substrate constantly moist, but not waterlogged. The seeds will soon begin to germinate. Let the young seedlings strengthen as much as possible, if they don't have enough space in the tray, you can transplant them. The more mature seedlings you plant in the bed, the greater the likelihood they will survive. Plant seedlings in the bed with at least two developed true leaves. The main enemy of seedlings in early youth are slugs, which absolutely love young pumpkin leaves. After their feast, there's often almost nothing left of the plants. Therefore, there's nothing else to do but take preventive measures against slugs simultaneously with planting. The simplest measure is planting larger seedlings that slugs are less likely to attack, and after potential nibbling, the plant's chance of survival is greater. Slugs can also be mechanically collected before they reach the pumpkins, or you can build various barriers – surrounding plants with sawdust, fencing young seedlings with cut plastic bottles. When mechanical means don't work, chemical elimination must be used, for example with special pellets. The fight against slugs is long-term and every grower has their own battle strategy, so use the one that has proven most effective for you. In warmer areas, it's possible to sow seeds directly in the final location, but even there you mustn't forget about the voracious slugs from the very first moment.

Plant ornamental gourds in their final location only when there is no risk of ground frosts, as ornamental gourd plants are not frost-resistant. An ideal location for gourds is, for example, a compost heap, because the soil is rich in nutrients, light and permeable. Do not plant gourds in directly fertilized soil, as the gourds could overgrow and thus lose one of their great advantages. It is also not recommended to fertilize gourds additionally, as the effect would be the same as with an over-fertilized location. Gourds love sunny locations. Plenty of sunshine also means rapid soil drying and frequent watering. If possible, do not water gourds over the leaves. Increased humidity could cause leaves to be attacked by mildew, which can even kill the plants. The first ripe gourds can be harvested as early as August. If you grow ornamental gourds on a support, you can let the ripe gourds dry on the plant. If the plant is crawling on the ground, regularly check the ripening fruits for mildew. In case you detect mold (rot) on the leaves or fruits, immediately remove the affected part of the plant to prevent spreading. As a simple prevention against mildew, it is recommended to grow gourds on a support – fence, net... Suspended plants have more air and are not in direct contact with moist soil, therefore the risk of mildew is significantly reduced. Gourd leaves can also be protected against mildew with chemical sprays. Use the same one as for mildew on cucumbers, zucchini and regular pumpkins. You can recognize ripe fruits by the fact that they produce a hollow sound when tapped. Pick ripe gourds with a piece of stem to prevent rotting and place them in an airy place so they can ripen properly. After about a week, when the stem of the gourds is already visibly dry, you can put them in a basket or use them to decorate your table. Gourds last longer when placed in rooms with lower temperatures. Hallways and entrance halls are therefore ideal. Gourds intended for decoration can simply be polished; for greater shine, spray with clear varnish is used.

Most Popular Ornamental Gourd Cultivars

• Crown of Thorns – ornamental gourds of this variety have a flattened shape, with growths around the perimeter of the gourd that resemble a crown of thorns or a starfish, the colour of this squash can vary, yellow, green or speckled

• Ducklings – these gourds have an elongated shape, slightly curved, so they distantly resemble ducklings, the fruits are yellow and when young can be used in the kitchen just like courgettes, sometimes they are also called swan gourds

• Mini Turban – these are very popular decorative gourds because they look as if a smaller squash is growing from the centre of a larger one, which is usually a different colour. Mini turbans can also be reddish in colour

• Warty Gourds – these gourds also look interesting, the surface of their skin is covered with many "warts", the colour of these gourds varies, most commonly a combination of yellow and green

• Sweet Dumpling – this is a traditional variety of ornamental gourds with white skin and distinctive green stripes, the fruits are slightly flattened

Growing Tip

Ornamental gourds are very productive when provided with good growing conditions. From one plant you can harvest 10-15 fruits, sometimes even more. For general needs, it is therefore sufficient to plant approximately 2-3 plants of each type. The ideal solution for a diverse harvest is to purchase seeds marked as mix, which include the most beautiful varieties of ornamental gourds...