How to Plant Hand-Rubbed Gourd Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Planting Method

Hand-rubbed gourds are a favorite hand toy for many people. As they are handled over time, the gourd surface becomes smooth and glossy, and because they carry the auspicious meaning of “fortune and prosperity,” they are very popular. Gourds with good shapes, however, command high prices. Today we will explain how to plant hand-rubbed gourd seeds.

Gourd planting is divided into potted gourd planting, ground gourd planting and soilless gourd cultivation. But no matter which kind of gourd planting it is, it cannot do without such steps as seeds, fertilizing, pinching off tips, pest and disease control, and picking the fruit.

Gourd seeds can be bought online. Choose large, plump ones, then soak them in warm water at about 30 degrees for more than 12 hours. You can also put them on a TV set-top box or in a close-fitting pocket, at constant temperature! Scoop them out and wrap them in moist gauze, and they will generally sprout in about 1-2 days.

Hand-rubbed gourds are fairly adaptable to potting soil, and ordinary garden soil can generally meet their growth needs, but when preparing garden soil you can add leaf mold and fine sand to make the soil more fertile.

The first pinching off of tips is done when the plant has grown to about 30 cm, so that it sends out 2-3 side branches. When the side branches grow 3-5 leaves, flowers will appear, and after the flowers bloom the second pinching off of tips can be carried out.

The most important part of daily management is helping the plant pollinate during the flowering period so that it can set enough fruit. You must distinguish female flowers from male flowers. Female flowers have a small fruit at the base of the flower, while male flowers have a longer stalk and no fruit. After the flowers bloom, use a small brush to brush the pollen off the male flower stamens and apply it to the stigma of the female flower, and the fruit-setting rate will be greatly increased.