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Northern Seeds

Cucurbit, Birdhouse Gourd

Cucurbit, Birdhouse Gourd

Regular price $3.95 CAD
Regular price Sale price $3.95 CAD
Sale Back next year

These gourds make handy vessels and, like the name implies, excellent birdhouses! Allow gourds to dry completely before carving them. They are easy to grow, treat them like winter squash, except budget more space, vines can really sprawl.

Typically, these bird house gourds are used to attract colonies of purple martin - a type of swallow whose distribution includes most of the prairies and eastern Canada. They can also attract other cavity dwellers like wrens, nuthatches and bluebirds. For purple martins, it is recommended to have at least 4 to 6 large gourds to attract a colony. A round hole 2 1/8" can be made for the entrance, or a crescent hole 3" by 1" to exclude starlings from moving in. It's also important to put in some small drainage holes at the bottom of the gourd.

 

+/- 20 Seeds

Certified organic by Quebec Vrai

 

Growing recommendations

These gourds can be grown just as winter squash would: seed three weeks before last frost. *Gourd seeds sometimes have some dormancy, so expect the germination to be staggered (allow 10 days, no vernalization necessary).*  After danger of frost has passed, transplant out with lots of room - vines can reach 20 feet!

 

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  • Shipping and Order Fulfillment

    We ship throughout Canada. You can select one of two flat rate shipping options at checkout: $5 for lettermail or $23 for expedited (with Canada Post).

    Alternately, you can choose to pick up your order at the farm in Farrellton, QC.

We're trialing and breeding new varieties!

This is the most challenging and thrilling part of our work.

The trialing allows us to test varieties of a same species side by side and determine which one(s) taste and perform the best.

 

Breeding and variety maintenance means selecting for traits that are desirable such as flavor, texture, disease resitance, earliness and hardiness, just to mention a few.

unique one of a kind rare organic seeds for canadian gardeners

You're one of a kind

If you're not 100% satisfied with your purchase, let us know and we'll make it right!

 

But we'd also love to hear from you if you see something wicked cool in your garden or if you know of a variety in need of stewardship.