- 1). Start seeds indoors four weeks before the last expected day of frost. Make a potting mixture of 1/2 seed starter mix and 1/2 compost to provide good drainage and plenty of early nutrition for the seedlings after germination. Fill the 4-inch pots with the mixture.
- 2). Press the squash seeds into the seeding medium one-half inch deep. (Sowing them this deep promotes better root formation.) They will take a day or two longer to see germination than seeds sown one-fourth inch deep. Place the pots on seed germination mats set to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and water them until the soil is moist two to three inches down. Keep pots evenly moist. Seeds will germination within a week.
- 3). Keep the plants watered and warm, and move them to a sunny location when germination is achieved. Allow the plants to grow for approximately four weeks or until they have a second set of true leaves and the danger of frost is past.
- 4). Prepare a garden bed in a sunny location. Spread two inches of compost across the bed and work it in with a tiller or shovel. Dig holes large enough to accommodate the roots of the seedlings, and plant the young gourd plants three inches apart.
- 5). Put up the trellis five to six inches from the gourd plants. Train them to twine up the trellis as they grow, which will produce evenly shaped gourds and keep the plants from taking up too much room. Use plant ties where necessary to keep the plants moving vertically.
- 6). Spread three to four inches of mulch around the plants to help prevent moisture loss and minimize weeds. Water plants with a sprinkler at least once per week, keeping the sprinkler on a low setting to avoid overwetting leaves and causing mildew. Water in the morning so plants can dry out before mildew spores can form. Water until puddles form on the surface of the soil.
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