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I usually make a hole 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches in diameter but this is really a personal choice. Different birds have different preferences so if you hope to attract a certain bird you will need to make the hole the appropriate size. Some birds even like two holes and others like to have a perch. If your luffa plant has already started forming fruits, turn your plant's energy into growing those fruits and pinch away new buds. You can start luffa as seedlings indoors in pots.
How to Make a Beautiful Gourd Birdhouse
It will take anywhere from 5-7 months from time of planting to having a fully grown gourd. And finally, spray the gourd with two or three coats of exterior oil based urethane. Follow the instructions, allowing the recommended drying time between coats. A cardboard box prevents the spray from hitting the garage floor. The gourds will tolerate a light frost, so let them ripen on the vine as long as possible. But soon after that, you’ll need to harvest them and bring them indoors for several months to cure the rest of the way.
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Reasons to Make a Purple Martin Gourd House
Then you may need to stratify the seed by scratching it. That way the seeds may germinate better than if you don’t scratch them. Each bird species has its own requirements for habitat, entrance-hole size and cavity dimensions. For instance, house wrens need a 1-inch entrance hole in a gourd 5 to 6 inches in diameter and prefer gourds hung in a shady area close to brush. To locate the entrance hole, hold the gourd by its stem between your index finger and thumb and let it hang.
How to Grow
You have no option but to go with the paint’s foggy quality and elevated stencil. The approach is simple and enjoyable and lets you exercise your creative muscles. I use natural shoe polish to preserve my gourd art. It is not UV resistant but enables my gourd shell to contract and expand without splitting the finish. When combined with paints or alcohol inks, you get lovely effects. They roll around when burning, making you chase them.
Owl Birdhouse Gourd Art for Your Garden
However, if you live in the hills, or adjacent to large swaths of open space (places like Palos Verdes, Malibu, San Gabriels, etc.), your prospects are much better. A simple bird house for wrens (here's an easy one to build) can attract Bewick's Wrens, House Wrens, and who knows what else. Just be sure to maintain the house in the proper manner. Don’t worry if you don’t get all of the insides removed. The first occupants of the birdhouse will remove anything they don’t want from the gourd, that’s for sure. While gourds can technically grow anywhere, they really do best in areas with warm weather.
When to Harvest Birdhouse Gourds
However, this effort to provide the plants with a stronger base may result in some fruit emerging at ground level. Fertilizer is not required, but if you want to use it, choose one that is well-balanced and releases slowly. Avoid products with an excess of nitrogen, or you may grow lots of leaves and few fruits. Water the soil and keep it evenly moist, but not soggy, until plants are well established.
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Of course, if all of this seems like a little too much work, you can always pick up some of the gourd birdhouses available on our website. This way you can enjoy all of the fun of birdwatching without all of the hassle. Another option is to buy them directly from a farmer. Here at Amish Gourds we have kettle gourds and dipper gourds that are dried, cleaned, and ready to be made into a beautiful homemade birdhouse. We also sell unfinished birdhouses ready to be painted as well as fully finished birdhouses.
At the end of the season, clean out the old nest material and store your birdhouse in a dry spot in the garage or basement to keep it from freezing and fading. If properly preserved and stored in the off season, it may last for years. Some popular ways are to use paint or stain, wood burning or decorating with natural materials. Just remember for the birdhouse to withstand being outdoors, it will need at least 2 coats of sealer. Spray varnish is an easy product to use giving even coverage without dripping.
How Long Does Luffa Bloom?
Since then, I’ve attended workshops teaching various gourd crafts and took a carving class in 2018. Here comes the question — are these gourds edible? Well, sure, birdhouse gourds are technically edible, however they have fibrous flesh that is bitter in flavor. If you choose to eat gourds, harvest fruits when they are immature and still green. Drying birdhouse gourds is quite easy and really comes down to having a well-ventilated space where the gourds can be spread out to dry. At the farm where I have large open spaces to work with, we plant the seeds in rows about 6 inches (15 cm) apart and allow the vines to wander as they like.
You can also varnish the outside of the gourds before you hang them up, but they’ll last outdoors about two years if you decide not to. During the curing process, the gourds could go from pale ivories, rusts, beiges or mottled gray colors; each one will be unique. Bottles that are fully dry or cured will be light-weight (nothing like when you first harvested them), light brown and hard. The seeds inside will rattle when you give the bottle a shake. At this point aside from the entry holes, you’ll be drilling a few others, as well. Gourd birdhouses are attractive to many species of birds including wrens, chickadees, swallows, bluebirds, titmice, and nuthatches.
At the first sign of this problem, cut out infected leaves. And dispose of them somewhere other than your compost heap. Second, don’t be surprised if not all the seeds germinate. In our experience birdhouse gourds seeds have a lower germination rate than other squash type plants.
Birdhouse gourds are one of the heirloom seeds offered by Strawbery Banke Museum through our free seed for education program. You can enlighten your guests’ moods when they visit your home by decorating your birdhouse to look like an ice cream cone. Nothing takes the place of a scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day. I love it because it resembles my irresistible favorite treat.
For a bird, a house is a safe place to roost and raise its young. It is a safe place from predators and icy winters. But to you, it’s a chance to create something beautiful. Something that will inspire you every time you look at it. To hang the gourd, I made two small holes on the top of the gourd, on either side of the stem. Even experienced and horticulturists sometimes don’t always follow directions.
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