How to Pick Birdhouse Gourds
The gourd is a fruit closely related to the pumpkin plant and grows on a vine. Several types of gourds exist, from small gourds used to decorate in the fall to larger gourds commonly used to make birdhouses for various types of gourds. The gourds most commonly used to make birdhouses are large kettle gourds that typically measure between 6 and 10 inches in diameter. As you pick birdhouse gourds, consider the various types of birds and their sizes to choose the best gourd to turn into a birdhouse. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Research birdhouse dimensions and diameters to find the gourd most suiting the birds you want to build houses for. Different birds require houses of different sizes, though the purple martins that most commonly live in gourd birdhouses require a birdhouse approximately 8 inches in diameter.
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Measure the gourds growing in your garden. Pick the gourds up and measure the approximate diameter across the bottom of the gourd. Choose gourds between 6 and 8 inches in diameter, unless building for birds other than the purple martin.
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Harvest several gourds of the same approximate size that you require for your birdhouse. Wait until the vines attached to the gourds shrivel up and harden. Cut the vines with pruning shears, leaving one or two inches of the vine attached to the top of the gourd for the birds to use as a perch.
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Set the gourds in a cool, dry area outside to dry without exposure to humidity. Leave the gourds for at least six months and up to one year before checking the gourds and starting your efforts to make birdhouses.
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Examine the dried gourds to pick which gourds you can use to make the birdhouses. All gourds will have dark and light discolorations caused by mold growing on the surface but you should dispose of any gourds with soft or rotted spots.
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Shake the gourds and listen for a rattle. A rattle means the gourd is ready to make into a birdhouse because the meat inside has dried away leaving the seeds loose inside the gourd. Pick out the gourds that rattle so you can turn these gourds into birdhouses.
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References
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- Photo Credit dry bottle gourd image by ann triling from Fotolia.com
