Long-handled dipper gourd? Anyone tried growing them?

[applestar]

I was really happy with the success of luffah gourds last year, and was thinking I'd like to try growing long-handled dipper gourds next, IF they actually can be crafted into usable dippers and scoops.

Has anyone tried growing them? Any tips?

[imafan26]

I grow gourds, but mainly to eat them.

[applestar]

You grow the ones commonly called upos, harvested while still immature, right? I suppose not all gourds are edible/taste good.

I'm seeing long-handled dippers with spherical or pear-shaped bulbs and some of the "handles" look useful if they could be guided into shape. For straight handles they need to be trellised to hang straight down....

[Gary350]

I grew several of those long handle gourds about 5 years ago. They make 25' long vine with about 15 gourds per vine. Keep the weeds and grass out other wise you get smaller gourds. Make the vine grow around and around in a circle to save garden space if you need too. If you grow gourds and let them lay on the soil the handles curl up in a circle. To get straight handle gourds vines need to be 7 feet high so gravity makes them grow straight. Gourd length with handle is 5 to 6 feet with a 6" to 7" diameter round end. I planted my seeds when soil was warm 65 degrees May 1st and let them grow until frost killed the plants about 1st week of November. I kept my gourds in the garage it took about 4 months for them to become dry enough that I could hear the seeds shaking around inside. I drilled a 1" diameter hole in a few of the gourds for bird houses. I cut off one side of some of the gourds for dippers. With a 6 foot long handle you can dip water from a pond without bending over.

There are other type gourds with shorter handles. The long handle gourds sell for $30 each in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge TN craft fairs. Seeds are $1 each at the craft fair. People make lots of things out of these gourds, I made bird houses.

[imafan26]

The upo and the round gourds can be kept until they turn brown. I have a round gourd I saved for seed and I was told I could make a hat with it. The luffa gourd is another one that people use to make sponges, but here we eat the young ones. It would be called SeeGwa or Chinese okra. It has a sliminess like okra and is used in soups.

[jal_ut]

I planted a gourd mix one time that had a few of those long handled ones in it. The gourds have a vine that goes out all over the place.

[imafan26]

All gourds have fairly long vines and often multiple branches. 50ft is common for the gourds. They do take up a lot of space so they are often trained on a fence, strong trellis or they will even climb trees. They are still susceptible to squash bugs and here the young ones need to be covered to keep them from being stung by melon flies. Older gourds will survive stinging but will have scars. They like a lot of water but they don't really like rain or they will get powdery mildew. Most gourds take about 100 days to mature. After the gourd has dried it needs to be washed and the mold has to be scrubbed off before it can be cut, painted and sealed.

[farmer32084]

Growing these gourds is a blast! I know some people who don't even try to grow them - literally leave some seeds in a wheelbarrow - and they grow dozens! And then there are others that try try try and cannot get it just right. Gourd plants can be funny like that. I would recommend getting some good seeds and find a solid pesticide that will protect the gourds from insects.

[imafan26]

Most gourds are edible when young. If you want to make them into hats, dippers, containers, or musical instruments, they have to be dried first. It gets moldy on the outside during the drying process so it needs to be cleaned before the polishing process is completed.