Gourdous Income Producers - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: Gourdous Income Producers


1
Gourd-ous Income Producers

• How gourds can be grown and marketed for fall
  decorations and value added products.

2
Introduction

• Fall decorating ranks just behind Christmas in
  money spent 586 million
• Fall decorations and Indian corn
• Art and humor have value
• 44.00 spent/household

3
Topics of Discussion

• Gourds
• Corn Shock
• Pumpkins
• Cushaws

4
Types of Gourds

• Lagenaria sp. bottle gourds
• White flowers
• Hard empty shell
• Used for birdhouses, dippers, containers
• Ornamental gourds Cucurbita pepo
• Coarse foliage yellow flowers
• Luffa vegetable or sponge gourds

5
Hard-Shell Gourds Can Be Sold As a Raw or
Finished Product
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Kettle and Dipper Gourds
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Hard Shelled Gourds

• Long growing season so usually set as transplants
  after frost free date
• Plant after soil temperature of 60F
• Rows 6 12 ft apart
• Plants spaced 3 -6 ft apart

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General Gourd Production

• Select sunny well drained soils
• Apply no more than 100 lb N /ac
• Practice crop rotation

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The Gourd en of Eden

• Hand painted apple gourd.

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Value-Added Kettle Gourds
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Dried Gourds Can Be Painted Etched or Burned to
Produce Works of Art
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African Kettle Gourds
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Gourds Sell Well As Part of Any Fall Promotion
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Decorative Gourds Make Attractive Fall Displays
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Ornamental Gourds

• Grown primarily for fall decorations
• Plant 90-95 day cvs. early to mid June
• Plant 100-115 day cvs. late May to early June
• Warm season annuals
• Require full sun
• Require soil pH 6.4 7.0

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Ornamental Gourds

• 1 2 lb. seed/acre
• Space rows 6 -8 ft apart
• Thin to 3 6 ft apart in row
• Plant seed 1 2 in. deep

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Fall Displays Can Be Varied
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Fall Craft ideas from the web.
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Ornamental Corn
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Corn Shock Production

• 36 in. Rows, 8 in. Plant spacing
• 21,782 plants/ac
• 80 useable gives 17,425 plants
• 60 stalks/shock or 290 shocks/ac
• 30 stalks/shock or 580/shocks/ac

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Fall Corn Shocks, Irrigated
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Cutting Corn for a Shock
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Proper Display at Your Market Helps Sell Product.
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Fall Mums Make Roadside Markets Attractive and
Improve Sales
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Study to Find New Trends

• Check popular web sites for ideas
• Ivillage.Com
• MarthaStewart.Com
• Watch the home and garden channel on TV
• Read home decorating magazines

26
Useful Information Sites

• The American Gourd Society, 317 Maple Court,
  Kokmo, In 46902-3633
• www.americangourdsociety.org
• Kentucky Chapter
• www.kygourdsociety.com/index.html

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2002 Pumpkin Cultivar Trial - Quicksand
Shape 1flat, 2blocky, 3round Stem color
lglight green, mgmedium green, dgdark green,
ttan
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2002 Pumpkin Cultivar Trial - Quicksand
Shape 1flat, 2blocky, 3round Stem color
lglight green, mgmedium green, dgdark green,
ttan