Botanical Interests Gourd Ornamental Pear Bicolor

This wonderfully 4”-6” colored gourd looks great nestled in a harvest basket for an autumn or Thanksgiving decoration. Shaped like a large pear, the tops are yellow or tan and the bottoms are green with yellow stripes. You will marvel at them as they mature and look as if nature has already painted them! Give the 20’ vines room to sprawl or train them up a large trellis, arbor, fence, or pergola. Ornamental gourds do not keep as long as the hard-shelled types, but they can last for months, or even years if kept cool and dry. Pear Bicolor gourds are ready to harvest when the stems become dry. Be sure to harvest them before the first fall frost or very shortly thereafter. The more frosts they are subjected to, the more the quality decreases. Use a sharp knife or pruners and leave 1” of stem attached to the gourd. When to plant outside: RECOMMENDED. Spring, 2-4 weeks after average last frost and when soil temperatures have risen above 60 degrees. When to start inside: Not recommended. In very short season climates, 3-4 weeks before average last frost. Sow in individual peat pots for direct planting.