Oh Gourd....it exploded

beer enigma

Anyone here got experience of growing & drying ornamental Gourds ?

I've been vegetable gardening for years & let my kids choose a packet of seeds each season to grow for themselves...this year they chose ornamental gourds; something I've never grown before. I've had success with pumpkins, but then I never try to dry them afterwards.

Anyway, cut a long story short, we harvested the first one - stem was brown & drying, so looked perfect, took it indoors, washed and dried it & left it in a light airy dry position, turning it daily (got the instructions from the bbc site).

I work in London (fortunately !!) and got a terse call from my dearly beloved yesterday to say that the Gourd had 'exploded' in the kitchen & there was 'slime and goo' running down the walls...........

I know I'll be banned from bringing another one indoors unless I come up with a plausible answer.....any ideas anyone ??

Mothman

OMG :eek:

Do Pumpkins, squashes etc every year and never had this and I've no helpful info, but I do sympathise...

Corsendonk

Sounds like a buildup of gas inside from some sort of breakdown and BAM!

TequilaMockingBird

No idea, but LOL

jezko

Corsiendonk wrote: »

Sounds like a buildup of gas insnide from some sorut of breakdown and BAM!

was the gourd in direct sunlight, or near a heat source...I imagine the sugars inside the fruit were being broken down by bacteria and building up gases, was there a smell from the remains

TheFatMan

Would agree with the Gas build up theory from bacterial breakdown.
If kept in a cool dry place they dont breakdown too quickly.

If your looking to dry them I would pierce the skin on the bottom and then leave in a low heat oven for up to 2 days. The speeds of the drying should help desicate them insude and out