Cucurbit, Birdhouse Gourd

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.

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!