Your cart is empty.
Your cart is empty.
An annual climbing plant with long stems. Forms elongated bottle-shaped large fruits, weighing 5-15 lbs (2-7 kg). Grown by sowing seeds in the ground or through seedlings. Fruits are harvested when they are 12-16" (30-40 cm) long and the peel is still thin and in the color of salad. They are used for preparing food like zucchini and squash. They are used fresh in salads or their porridge is cooked, fried in oil, stewed, stuffed, and pickled. The plant is ornamental. It can be planted near arbors and fences. Ripe dried fruits are used for making dishes and decorative items. Young fruits are used in traditional medicine.
Planting instructions:
Prepare long-handle gourd seeds for sowing in springtime approximately two to four weeks after the last frost. Wait until soil temperatures reach 60 degrees F (15 C). Place the seeds in a shallow bowl and cover them with water. Soak the seeds for at least 12 hours before sowing them. Work the soil using a rotary tiller or a cultivating fork, depending on the size of garden patch. Break up the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm). Remove any stones, sticks or other debris from the planting site. Amend the soil if it is very sandy or clay-based. Create a soil mound for each long-handle gourd plant. Push the soil into shape by hand until its stands 8 to 10 inches (20-25 cm) tall with a diameter of approximately 20 inches (50 cm). Moisten the soil with a garden hose while mounding it to help it hold its shape. Space the mounds at least 4 feet (1.5 m) apart. Install a wire trellis, tomato cage or other support structure at each soil mound to provide a place for the gourd plants to climb.
