Gourds in your garden

Tamil Nadu has just celebrated the harvest festival of Pongal a time when we enjoy the bountiful produce of crops such as rice, lentils and sugarcane. Pongal marks the end of the month of Margazhi, our winter, and welcomes the month of Thai, the start of spring when the sun starts its journey in the northern hemisphere and the days become longer.

As one growing season ends, another starts. Chennai has one more growing season till the scorching heat of summer begins, the heat that is natures signal that its time to let the soil rest. So what can we grow from January to April?

Cool weather crops like cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, spinach will continue to grow until February. Tomatoes do well in this season too. But this is the time to sow things that are light to cook, eat and satisfy your thirst in the summer. Its time to start planting gourds, greens and melons.

Gourds such as bottle, snake, ridge, bitter, ash, pumpkin, and cucumber, and melons such as watermelon and musk melon can be started now too. These need well-drained soil and space to trail or climb, and are great plants for fences and sunny balconies with grills. And if you let them trail on your terrace floor, they also help cool the house. Heres a quick growing guide.

Soil

Its all about soil and seeds. Gourds do incredibly well in permaculture soil. Weve grown 3.5 foot long bottle gourds in the Cancer Institutes permaculture-raised beds. You can also use regular potting mix. Ensure the soil is loose, well-drained and well-mulched.

Seeding

Gourds and melons are sown directly. If you plan to start them in a different location, start them in containers that can be planted along with the sapling and will compost. Gourds dont do well with transplanting. There are many DIY, recycled or store-bought seed trays that you can start the seed in. When the seeds sprout and the true leaves emerge, plant the contents directly into the ground. At the Cancer Institute, weve started gourds in bamboo baskets and theyve done very well. Ensure there is enough space for the vine to run or climb.

Support

For bottle, snake, bitter and ridge gourds, try to ensure a pandal or trellis of some sort. This can be a fence, a simple trellis using poles and rope, or even a broken ladder. Its easier to spot the fruit in a pandal, but a fence or balcony railing will do just as well. Weve used ladders and even the sides of a broken baby cot to support gourds.

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Gourds in your garden