|
Hard Shell Gourds (Birdhouse Gourds)
Hard Shell Gourds have been used for many thousands of years.  Their uses have included musical instruments, bowls for food, bottles, canteens for water and these are just a few.
In recent years there has been a renewed interest in growing, crafting, and decorating gourds. This sheet is prepared to assist you in maintaining your fresh gourd and then how to properly dry your gourd for future use.
Maintaining Your Fresh Gourd
Be careful not to bruise or scrape the skin of your gourd. Wash your gourd in warm vinegar water, rinse and dry. It will retain it’s natural color for several months, if kept away from sunlight and moisture. If your gourd developes spots or mold, dip it in Clorox water.
How To Dry Your Hard Shell Gourd
Eventually gourds will dry themselves. As the gourd dries, the skin will look like it’s rotting and will peel. To assist in drying, keep in warm, dry location, turning occasionally. As long as the gourd remains hard it is drying correctly. It takes 4-6 months for the gourd to dry. It will be light and the seeds inside will rattle when it’s completely dry.
Once the gourd is dried, you’ll need to remove the peeling outer skin. To do this, soak it in water overnight or place outside in the rain. When skin is soft, wash and scrape off all excess skin until smooth.
The end product has the sturdiness of wood. It can be stained, carved, wood burned or painted.
 Things To Make With Your Dried Gourd
Gourds make excellent birdhouses because they are natural. Choose gourds that have hard shells and are dry enough to cut holes for your birdhouse. The gourds’ size will govern the kind of bird that will be attracted. The ball of the gourd should be large enough for the bird to turn around easily. Many birds delight in the long cavtites offered by some gourd shapes.
The entrance hole should be cut as round as possible and all sharp edges removed. Its size must conformt to the bird size. Hole may be cut with an expansion bit or a key hole saw. A few holes in the gourds bottom will provide drainage and help keep the gourd dry. You can also drill a hole at the top for hanging your birdhouse — a thong or a wire will suffice.
The chart below shows the minimum size gourd needed and the size entrance hole required for many bird species.
|
Bird Variety
|
Gourd Size Needed in Diameter (Inches)
|
Entrance Hole in Inches
|
| House or Berwick’s Wren |
4
|
1
|
| Caroline Wren |
4
|
1.5
|
| Chickadee |
4
|
1.5
|
| Tufted Titmouse |
4
|
1.25
|
| Downey Woodpecker |
4
|
1.25
|
| White Breasted Nuthatch |
4
|
1.25
|
| Small Owls & Bluebirds |
5
|
1.5
|
| Crested Flycatcher |
6
|
2
|
| Purple Martin |
6
|
2.5
|
| Flicker |
7
|
2.5
|
The placement of the hole is very important and once should remember the habits of the birds you hope to attract. Birds like to hop down into the gourd, therefore, place hole in the upper portion of the gourd. This also keeps the fledglings from falling out should the hole be too low. A perch can be attaced below the hole. A twisted piece of gourd stem, a twig, or a cluster of seed pods make an excellent front porach and are natural materials. After the inside of the gourd is cleaned out, several coats of varnish or shellac will seal the outside surface. Paint may also be used, but avoid using bring colors — dull brown or greens are better.
 Put your birdhouse out in early Spring before the birds arrive. Most birds do not want other birds for close neighbors, so attach your houses singly to trees or posts. Since Purple Martins want to live together, wire a number of gourd houses to bare tree branches or to cross arms nailed to a pole. Keep Martin houses away from leafy areas and buildings in an open flight-path area where there are no overhead wires.
Remember to keep the opening in exact size. From the tiny Wren to Small Owls — keep the openings to fit the birds’ size. Hang your gourd houses with openings away from the prevailing winds.
Making birdhouses frm gourds is as easy as it is interesting. If the gourd is mature and properly preserved and stored in off season, it may last for years.
Dried gourds make excellent vases, jewelry, dippers, planters, hats, baskets, lamps, dishes, pots and even musical instruments. The ideas are uses are unlimited.
If you’d like more information on growing or using gourds, you can contact the: American Gourd Society, P.O. box 274, Mt. Gilead, OH 43330 (419) 946-3302 • http://www.americangourdsociety.org/ OR http://www.seedsofknowledge.com/gourds.html. Be sure to read how to Work Safely With Gourds.
Download a .pdf file of this page.
|
