Vine Size for Egg Gourds

Ornamental gourds (Cucurbita pepo var. ovifera) come in many shapes, sizes and colors and most are used for purely decorative purposes. One cultivar, the egg gourd, has small white or cream-colored oval fruits that have practical use. Dried egg gourds are traditional decoy eggs put under chickens and other poultry, encouraging hens to become broody, lay a clutch of eggs and raise young. Egg gourds are more space-saving than larger kinds of gourds, usually growing 12 to 15 feet long.


Like other cucurbits, egg gourds don't survive freezing temperatures. They are annuals in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 11. Plant seeds when danger of frost is gone, or start seeds indoors earlier. Vines grow quickly once seeds germinate, needing 75 to 80 days or more to produce mature fruit. Because of their rapid growth, the vines need good soil and regular watering and fertilizing. Apply fertilizer once when planted and again after a month. Reduce water and fertilizing in fall. Vines die once freezing temperatures occur.

Planting Egg Gourds

Because vines are shorter than larger-fruited ornamental gourds, space plants 18 to 24 inches apart on trellises that are 6 to 8 feet tall. Vines can also grow along the ground, but fruits may have a discolored or flattened area where they rest against the soil, and rot and insect damage is more likely to occur. Gourds grown on trellises are more uniformly shaped and colored. Vines can also use arbors, fences, pergolas, utility poles and adjacent trees or shrubs as support. By the end of summer, the vines attain their full length and fruits will mature.

Harvesting Gourds

Vines bear ovoid fruits at intervals along their length, everywhere a yellow female flower has been pollinated during the growing season. When cold weather has slowed vine growth or killed the vine and gourds have reached mature size, cut gourds from the vine, leaving 2 inches of stem attached to the gourd. Avoid bruising or damaging the gourd or breaking it from the vine. Clean the gourds with rubbing alcohol and put them in a warm, dry, well-ventilated space to dry and cure. Remove the old vines.

Egg Gourd Uses

After the gourds dry and the skin hardens, they can be combined with other ornamental gourds in decorative arrangements, used as poultry decoy eggs or as darning eggs for mending socks, or decorated by painting, staining, burning or a combination of these techniques. Painted or dyed egg gourds make good Easter ornaments. Attach hanging cords to use embellished egg gourds as Christmas or Valentine decorations. A small patch of 12-foot-long vines can yield several dozen egg gourds for family crafting. Crack gourds open to save seeds for growing next season, but realize that gourds cross-pollinate with other cucurbits and fruit shape may not be like the parent plant, and vines may be longer or shorter in length.



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