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LAsDarkFireWolf
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- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 4:38 am
Bottle Gourd still has no female flowers.
Ok so I planted these early May, starting them from seeds. I have two plants in two different containers and they are in very close proximity to each other. Yet all flowers that come up and bloom are male. I thought I had a female flower but as the flower got bigger and bloomed it turned out to be male. I've used an organic 'bloom mix' of 0-10-10 along with some humic acid, ground up egg shells, seaweed (from my trips to the beach) and even a bit of nitrogen. All this over the course of weeks and the bloom mix weekly. I live in a drier climate (zone 8) but I water them daily. The only perhaps different thing I have been doing is that we have a large back yard umbrella up. This way they don't wilt as bad when it's been 90 and over. They still get at least 4hrs of direct light -though as we cool it's getting to be less. Not sure how much longer these plants have and why they aren't putting out female flowers. Any ideas or suggestions as to what will help?
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applestar
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- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
In my area, some gourds are marginal simply because I don't have enough warm growing days. Here, they need FULL SUN and lots of room. I have to plant them in the ground. Even then, I often finally get female blossoms just before first frost in mid-October... But I keep trying.... 
Is this bottle gourd or birdhouse gourd? I have had better success with the smaller birdhouse gourds that are about 8" tall and 5-6" across -- they mature faster and start producing female blossoms earlier. Gourds are prolific once they start to bear.
I think 4 hours is not enough sun. Definitely take down the umbrella and come up with another solution for the wilting problem. Some wilting during hot 90° day is normal for most cucurbits, but if yours are in containers that are too small, then you need to supply them with more even moisture and nutrients -- maybe some kind of self watering mechanism -- even as simple as water-filled recycled bottles and jugs with tiny holes in the bottom, or get those soda bottle watering spikes.
If you can, I would set the current containers on top of larger containers or tubs filled with rich potting mix and let them grow roots out of the current containers into the fresh supplemental supply. But if they are already clinging on trellis or something, I guess thats not an option. You could try burying trailing vines in containers of fresh potting mix as a supplemental source to grow roots into as well -- vines are flexible that way
Is this bottle gourd or birdhouse gourd? I have had better success with the smaller birdhouse gourds that are about 8" tall and 5-6" across -- they mature faster and start producing female blossoms earlier. Gourds are prolific once they start to bear.
I think 4 hours is not enough sun. Definitely take down the umbrella and come up with another solution for the wilting problem. Some wilting during hot 90° day is normal for most cucurbits, but if yours are in containers that are too small, then you need to supply them with more even moisture and nutrients -- maybe some kind of self watering mechanism -- even as simple as water-filled recycled bottles and jugs with tiny holes in the bottom, or get those soda bottle watering spikes.
If you can, I would set the current containers on top of larger containers or tubs filled with rich potting mix and let them grow roots out of the current containers into the fresh supplemental supply. But if they are already clinging on trellis or something, I guess thats not an option. You could try burying trailing vines in containers of fresh potting mix as a supplemental source to grow roots into as well -- vines are flexible that way
Most gourds take a 100 days of warm temps. Male flowers always appear first, the females come a little later. Do you have at least two months before your winter begins. Gourds take 3-4 weeks to mature to an edible stage and longer if you want them to be older for making bowls and for ornamental use. Gourds are long plants, unless you have a significant container the roots need a lot of room.
I have upo gourds. I planted them around July. I was late getting the weeds killed and the ground covered. I had thirteen gourds but lost a few to rot. It has been raining a lot for summer and some of the ends of the young gourds rotted and my older gourds are spotted so I cannot save the seeds. My vine is in the ground and it is 50 ft long. It is nearing the end of their run although the tips are still green and they still have flowers. Normally I can get over 20 or more gourds from upo.
I have upo gourds. I planted them around July. I was late getting the weeds killed and the ground covered. I had thirteen gourds but lost a few to rot. It has been raining a lot for summer and some of the ends of the young gourds rotted and my older gourds are spotted so I cannot save the seeds. My vine is in the ground and it is 50 ft long. It is nearing the end of their run although the tips are still green and they still have flowers. Normally I can get over 20 or more gourds from upo.