First shoots of Spring

Tips on Germinating Gourd Seeds

Gourd seeds can be difficult to germinate and I recommend the following tips to help you start your gourd plants:

1. Here in the South where it gets warm fairly early, we are able to plant directly in the ground with much success around the end of April. If, however, you live in a colder climate, I do not recommend planting gourd seeds directly in the ground. In many cases, the soil may not be warm enough or there may be too much or not enough moisture for the gourd seeds to germinate.
2. I recommend starting your gourd seeds indoors in a planting soil medium.
3. For the hard-to-start seeds, you can place the gourd seeds between moist, but not wringing wet, paper towels. Place the seeds and towels in a ziplock bag and place everything on a heating mat. You can purchase one on amazon.com for between $20 and $35. I have also used the top of an electronic device such as a satellite receiver or TV that stays warm constantly and this has worked. You just need to be careful not to cover all the ventilation holes that would overheat your electronic device. Also, you would be limited to the number of seeds you could germinate in this manner.
4. For the hard-to-start seeds, you can clip the edges of the larger gourd seeds to help the germination process.
5. After the seeds have germinated, place them in planting soil medium into 4” or 5” peat pots. We recommend using the peat or manure pots that can be planted directly into the ground. Gourds do not tolerate well their roots being disturbed.