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Mature hard-shelled gourds have been used for millennia as food containers, water jugs, floats for fishing nets, and even body armor. Watering issues are the biggest reasons for plant yellowing. When luffa plants are overwatered, the roots can't absorb more water due to oversaturation. Likewise, an underwatered plant needs more water to thrive. Nitrogen and phosphorus additives to fertilizer are directly related to producing male and female flowers.
How to Plant Birdhouse Gourds
However, because they are a long-season crop, they end up sitting on the ground for long periods and could become rotten on the side touching the ground. However if you lay them on dry cardboard they can cure nicely as well. But they may end up with flat spots where they rest on the paper.
Types of Luffa
At the end of the season, clean out the old nest material and store your birdhouse in a dry spot in the garage or basement to keep it from freezing and fading. If properly preserved and stored in the off season, it may last for years. Some popular ways are to use paint or stain, wood burning or decorating with natural materials. Just remember for the birdhouse to withstand being outdoors, it will need at least 2 coats of sealer. Spray varnish is an easy product to use giving even coverage without dripping.
How to Make Birdhouses Out of Gourds
It will take anywhere from 5-7 months from time of planting to having a fully grown gourd. And finally, spray the gourd with two or three coats of exterior oil based urethane. Follow the instructions, allowing the recommended drying time between coats. A cardboard box prevents the spray from hitting the garage floor. The gourds will tolerate a light frost, so let them ripen on the vine as long as possible. But soon after that, you’ll need to harvest them and bring them indoors for several months to cure the rest of the way.
Cottage Gourd Birdhouse
However, this effort to provide the plants with a stronger base may result in some fruit emerging at ground level. Fertilizer is not required, but if you want to use it, choose one that is well-balanced and releases slowly. Avoid products with an excess of nitrogen, or you may grow lots of leaves and few fruits. Water the soil and keep it evenly moist, but not soggy, until plants are well established.
When to Harvest Birdhouse Gourds
Gourds adorned with alcohol inks keep their color for a long time, even when used for an exterior gourd. Their hues range from light green to chartreuse and dark green. These colors will blend in well with your flower garden and trees. It is one of the world’s first and most cultivated plants.
Its polyurethane coating makes it a great addition to any backyard. This beautiful plastic gourd birdhouse blows the natural, rotting gourd birdhouse out of the water. It’s made from sturdy plastic to resist the elements while still being lightweight. And with its anti-starling entry and rain deflectors, birds will move mountains to get to it. Purple martin gourds are also called birdhouse gourds, kettle gourds, or martin gourds. The natural patterns that can be seen on many of my gourds are made from the various molds that grow on the gourd during the drying process.
The pros at the Rodale Institute also recommend a side dressing of compost in the middle of summer, as plants are heavy feeders. Setting the seeds up high helps to promote good drainage and inhibit rotting. Make a mound of the crumbly earth that is about six inches high and a foot wide.
Use any gourd that grows to a size large enough to provide ample wiggle room for a mama and her brood. Birdhouse gourd seeds are an obvious choice and widely available in big box stores as well as through online catalogs. Or if it’s going to be a birdhouse, you might want to attach a hanger to the top. And insert a perch dowel below the birdhouse gourd entrance hole. First, you’ll need to get birdhouse gourd seeds to plant.
Then you may need to stratify the seed by scratching it. That way the seeds may germinate better than if you don’t scratch them. Each bird species has its own requirements for habitat, entrance-hole size and cavity dimensions. For instance, house wrens need a 1-inch entrance hole in a gourd 5 to 6 inches in diameter and prefer gourds hung in a shady area close to brush. To locate the entrance hole, hold the gourd by its stem between your index finger and thumb and let it hang.
9 adorable locally made birdhouses and feeders - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
9 adorable locally made birdhouses and feeders.
Posted: Tue, 04 Apr 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Once the plant develops fruits, about two months before your first expected frost date, pinch away all the flowers and any small luffa on the vine. Pinching the most miniature fruits and flowers will direct the plant to put all its energy into growing the existing luffas on the vine into larger fruits. Why are there holes in the bottom of my gourd birdhouse? Holes are drilled in the bottom for drainage and for ventilation. Use the 1 ⅜ inch drill bit to create a hole in the bottom and larger bulb of the gourd, right where it begins to curve upward.
I find this leaves me with a very nice smooth gourd without too much work. When sanding a gourd that is left natural it is important to be careful to not sand too much. I like to use the sanding as a way to modify the pattern slightly, removing anything I don’t like. Inspect them at least weekly being sure to rotate them when needed and to discard any rotten ones. If you are experiencing a much higher rate of rot consider changing your drying station to get better ventilation.
You apply it with a brush or a wool applicator pad. Green (pictured above with green stain), red, and shades of tan make an excellent finish. After applying the dye, apply a few layers of poly-spray like the step above to protect it. Position the hole saw slightly above the center of the gourd and drill until the hole is formed. Then switch to the 3/8” drill bit and drill 4 holes in the bottom of the gourd for ventilation and drainage.
We’ll dig into growing and crafting with gourds here. To grow birdhouse gourds, the vines need a sturdy trellis and they grow about 15 feet. When the gourds turn from green to brown on the outside, you can cut them off the vine and store them for drying.
Of course, if all of this seems like a little too much work, you can always pick up some of the gourd birdhouses available on our website. This way you can enjoy all of the fun of birdwatching without all of the hassle. Another option is to buy them directly from a farmer. Here at Amish Gourds we have kettle gourds and dipper gourds that are dried, cleaned, and ready to be made into a beautiful homemade birdhouse. We also sell unfinished birdhouses ready to be painted as well as fully finished birdhouses.
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