From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I will plant some Long Guards in my giant vegetable garden next year.

If you grew them this year I would like to hear how you did with them.

What seed did you use?
How did you prepare your soil?
How did you fertilize and water them?
What sort of trellis did you use?
When did you start your seeds and when did you harvest?
And of course: WHAT LENGTH DID YOU ACHIEVE?

Hope to get many responses!

Thanks and best wishes,
Martin

10/19/2004 12:54:57 PM

Wroclaw, Poland (51 N, 17 E)

I don't remember the seeds. They came fro mScotland but.. from ho.. I don't remember ...

And I have jus tone thing to say: PROTECT THEM AGAINST SNAILS !

My w palnts vere totaly eaten in one night, becouse there are so soft and tasty :D

10/19/2004 1:22:28 PM

Ann Arbor, Mi

103 Bell
Same gound as pumpkins
almost same as pumpkins, except they where last to be fertilzered and watered more heavy
I have an A frame 10'ft wide 81/2 ft high with a flat 5' x 10' top, holds 2 plants
Started seed with pumpkins, beginning of May, harvested 10-2 for GPC wiegh off, others still handing
longest 79" cool summer they like Heat, grow 88" in '03

Bob

10/19/2004 2:33:20 PM

Montoursville, PA

Great question Martin. The seed I used was 90.5 CARLSON 2002. I double dug and made a high quality compost honey hole about 50% compost. I mixed in a heavy hand full of organic 4-2-4 and a pinch of Azomite trace minerals by Fertrell. One cup of Sul Pro Mag pushed my 5.5 PH up into a more desirable range. The net result was a small raised bed. I guided them up the one side of my 12" water tower and into an apple tree behind the tower. Two seeds were permitted to grow from direct seeding under a small tent. One would have been enough. They are slow to start climbing but once they take off get out of their road. They engulfed my whole mature apple tree. I direct seeded some and started some in a germination box just like pumpkins. Germination and growth to first true leaves was about June the first. Experience indicated I should have started right beside the pumpkin schedule. I had a few 36" to 48" premature gourds by October 2 weigh-off. I let the rest hang. They have grown on, to an estimated seven feet cavemann's club types. Today is the 15th. of October and the fool things are still growing even, in the cool 45 degree nights. Looking at the yet healthy stems would indicate that they are not done growing. They should have had a better early season start. I am strictly guessing but it appears that I may have mature seed. My weather situation is that frost may be any night now. Killing frost is often recorded, by this date. We are now in what some of us refer to as Indian Summer. Indian Summer normally presents us with a week or two of nice weather after the first heavy day or two, of frost. According to my gardening records my growing days should have ended by now. The killing frost has yet, to arrive this year.

10/19/2004 6:19:55 PM

[email protected]

Long gourd results for the PGPGA can be found on our webiste at PGPGA.com/2004wo.htm

10/20/2004 6:42:11 AM

[email protected]

webiste, website, whats the difference! lol.. Damn fingers this morning!

10/20/2004 6:43:05 AM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Thanks for the info, Bob and Dwaine!

But I am sure there were way more growers who have tried the long guars this year... I remember reading about them in quite a few diaries...

Please post your comment here...

Martin

10/20/2004 5:14:11 PM

Riverton, WY

I ended up with a 71.5 inch LG from a 74 incher I had a couple years ago. It was on pace to be a PB, but I screwed up & didn't support the vine just ahead of the gourd. The darkened kink in the vine shut the growth of the gourd down a couple weeks before our mid September frost.

10/20/2004 7:00:38 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Best I could manage in my rookie LG season was a 61"er from the Collins seed. Plant only got residual ferts and water from the AG patch, as it was used as a windblock along one side. 6 LG plants in along an 8 foot trellis was 5 too many!
Despite 45minutes to an hour evry nite pruning once they took off, still couldn't tell what fruit belonged to what plant? Had a blast trying them though. Would love to hook up with someone for some good seeds for next season!
Thanks in advance,
Duff

10/20/2004 7:55:40 PM

Massillon, Ohio

mine was 89.75'' (i beat nick by .75 inches oh yeah). i feel my secret was those fish i buried beneath the planting spot. and he thought i was nuts when i did it. :)

the trellis was this bamboo thing we propped and straped to a telephone pole.

i seriously think growing these things is luck and timing with the weather. i cant figure them out at all. let me know if you do !!

10/20/2004 8:21:31 PM

[email protected]

The vines looked lovely covering 50% of my garage.

I liked the interesting white flowers.

What's a long gourd?

10/20/2004 9:47:08 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Long Gourd growers need to attract the night pollinators Steve. I planted Nicotiana, and once dusk came the Sphinx Moths would arrive. I was only able to squeak out a 72" here in the artic tundra.

10/21/2004 6:26:55 AM

[email protected]

We usually do have Sphynx moths here. Perhaps I killed them all with my urban asault against Vine Borers.

10/21/2004 7:42:56 AM

Indiana

An old gourd grower told me to get lots of gourds you need the cucumber beetles to polinate them?? Go figure maybe the bugs are good for somthing and we kill all of them we see.

10/21/2004 7:45:16 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

I heard they were nite pollinators and got worried, but had no difficulties here finding suitable partners in the early evening, and got nearly 100% germination success. Making a rookie mistake and having too many plants for the area probably made the availability of partners isssue a moot point? So how do you harvest the seeds from the fruit?

10/21/2004 8:18:39 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

I see that the long guard seeds that growers planted are referred to the same way as with our pumpkins only that not the weight but the length is considered. length - grower - year.
But are all these seeds "Collins Long Guards" just like all the pumpkin seeds are Atlantic Giants or are there different long guard varieties that are good for growing for length?

Martin

10/22/2004 6:03:53 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

Also, I am wondering what a good method for removing the seeds out of a long guard is.

Cutting the still fresh fruit open (lengthwise or across?) and treating the seeds just like the pumpkin seeds?

Letting the fruit dry, drill a hole into it and shake the seeds out?

Or other methods?

Martin

10/22/2004 6:09:50 PM

ENGLAND

Martin
I used to let mine dry out completely by hanging them up in a warm room in the house, this can take up to 3 months though depending on the thickness of the flesh inside. Then, if you want to keep the Gourd for decorative purposes, you can drill a 10mm hole in the base of the gourd and use a long stiff wire, bent at one end to form an L shape, to rake the seeds out. OR use a fine saw and cut the base of the Gourd off about 30mm from the bottom and rake the seeds out as previously mentioned.

10/23/2004 5:49:02 AM

Montoursville, PA

Today is the 24th. Still no frost and yes the suckers are growing a little.

I've never been inside one of them. Soon I shall cut one open. I am informed that the seed are dispersed in there somewhat like watermellon seed. Wash them and dry them like pumpkin seed or dry the whole fruit indoors. Takes a long time to dry the whole fruit.

10/24/2004 7:28:29 PM