24+ SHORT HANDLED DIPPER GOURD SEEDS PLUS very detailed instructions on growing them and drying them. These gourds are flat on the bottom, have handles from 14 - 18 inches long and are 14 - 16 inches in circumference at their widest point on the dipper.
Express your creativity painting these gourds - anything you can do with wood (paint, stain, cut, drill, carve) you can do with dried gourds. Native Americans decorated them and used them for rattles settlers cut them and used them to dip water with (thus the name) they make great birdhouses, too. Great fun for children and adults, alike! Easy to grow!
Picture is of a few gourds in various stages of drying (the one on the left has been cut and made into a 'dipper'). I've included a couple of standard fast-pitch softballs for reference on the size of the gourds. Each vine will get up to 20 feet and needs to grow on a fence, trellis or other sturdy structure for straight necks or can be grown on the ground for 'crook-necked" gourds. Requires full sun and about a 100 day growing season. Full growing instructions are included with the seeds, as well as instructions for drying the gourds.
A WORD OF WARNING ABOUT GOURD SEEDS
Be cautious when purchasing gourd seeds growing many types of gourds or squash in close proximity to each other WILL affect the seeds by creating cross-pollinated gourds. The gourds themselves will be fine, but the seeds WILL produce something that does not resemble the original. In reality, there is no 100% guaranteed distance to avoid cross-pollination because bees and moths can fly long distances, but I keep my gourds 300 ? 400 feet apart to considerably reduce the chances of cross pollination. In addition, I save my seeds and grow my gourds from my own seeds from year to year - so I KNOW mine have not cross-pollinated. Ask sellers how they avoid cross-pollination before you buy.
