birdnest gourds

[reducereuserecycle]

anyone ever grown them and successfully made birdhouses or bowls/cups from them? i have had the seeds frozen for 3 years and never put them out in time since they take a very long growing season. anyhow, this year i got them out in time and i already have 3 halfway grown gourds and many smaller ones. so, i started reading about the process of drying. every online thing i reads talks about using bleach as to kill the mold that forms in the drying process. anyone ever did this without bleach? also, any other tips and suggestions are welcome. if i can't find a way to do this process without bleach then we will just enjoy the gourds when they are fresh as some sort of decorations like people put out in Fall and then compost them.

[Erinz]

We usually grow some every year but somehow skipped it this year. Not sure how... anyway... I've never used bleach on them?? I just layed them out or hung them in a dry spot in the greenhouse and forgot about them really. I know they did get a film of mold looking stuff on them but then that dried up. My husband drilled holes in them and used baling wire to make realllly neato looking birdhouses! I'll have to post a pic of my favorite one tomorrow if I get time. It's dark outside right now But ya, somewhere dry they won't be disturbed and forget about them for a bit.

[reducereuserecycle]

ok...yes, please share the pics when you have time!!! :

[JessicaS]

We just left ours sitting outside for about six months and then they were dried.

Never used bleach.

[serenetabbie]

I never used bleach either. I grew them two years ago and they are still in the basement I would love to see what other people have done with them.

[Jenn_M]

I've grown them but didn't get around to making anything from them. They are really cool and some of them were HUGE.

I'd love to see finished pics! Maybe I'll try it again next year!