Anaconda Gourd for 2010! Anyone else doing them?

Ok, well, I was at my favorite farmstand and as ever can never go away empty handed. I was on a mission for whacki and weird...especially for me and the hubs 21st Anniversary!

So I spied this snake gourd! Isnt he beautiful! The hub loved him and I know how he cannot stand snakes, but this one! WOW!

Its a real charmer!

I am just wondering and hoping about getting any seed out of it and hoping that if and when the time comes I can remove them with out destroying this boa!

Any suggestions on drying it, seed removal (that is if it is possible) and then growing them later? Show your pet!

This enquiring mind wants to see and know!

For more whacki and weird go here too!

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1035822/#new

Soz, ok, what about a planting date? From the looks of this kind of gourd, I am a thinking it needs a long season to perfect its bigness! Start it indoors? If we broadcast the seed, what is its maturity??

Do I trellis it later?

Ok, I see we have had a lot of visitors to the reptile house here, but no ones saying anything!.

Soz anyway I went back to the market weeeeeeehere I got this pet and asked the fella there how to. SO here is what he had to say! He says just like most gourds he dries, just put the thning out wehre it can get air and let her go.

So ok, my snake is out hanging about in my livingroom and appears to be drying down, but has a long way to go.

He thought that it would dry hollow, but had no real answer on how to garner teh seeds yet from it. Well, I guess we will not know that untim several months from now.

If it drys like most gourds I have done it will get hard and the outer hide will maybe get moldy. Once dry the moldy is washed off. If all goes well with this critter he should turn into a rattle snake when he is dry and I should be able to shake him and hear the seed in side.

Then once dry thoroughly, I should be able to cut a hole in him and shake them out. Once there, and the seeds are out I can paint my boy up and have a little more fun with him!

Oh hiss hiss! LOL! Woof, hiss! Pounce!

Snake gourds (Trichosanthes anguina) do have a long season. http://www.evergreenseeds.com/sngosgo.html When young used as a vegetable, mature for arts and crafts http://www.foothillsfarm.com/egourds/snake/snake.htm http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2005-04-01/Snake-Gourd.aspx?page=2 Ther are also bottle gourds/hard shell gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) which are long and quite curved and sometimes refered to as snake gourds. In fact, these are the most used for crafts. http://yourhomegardenblog.com/uncategorized/how-to-grow-delicious-asian-snake-gourds-in-your-backyard. Obviously, I don't know which type of gourd you acquired. http://www.seedsofindia.com/ http://www.carolinagourdsandseeds.com/types.htm http://www.bizrate.com/seeds-bulbs/gourd-seeds/ The latter two have seeds for the hardshell version.

I had something that looked like that setting by my side door. The only difference was that it was breathing! It was a HUGE hog nose snake and the dogs were stepping all over it and it just sat there. Needless to say it startled me.

LOL! When I brought this critter home I had it setting in the dash of my vehicle. It was in the evening so it was dim light and several passersby by did that double take LOOOONG look at it! LOL! Would have been fun to have candid camera!

As ever, Farmerdill, you kind sir are a walking encyclopedia!

I dont know which exactally this "monster" is either.. but it will be interesting to see what, if anything it may produce.

Um, 1lisac, um, just how huge was that hog?

The hognose was 3+ feet long. It still lives in the same area by the airconditioning units because they eat baby toads. I know it was that long because it shed its skin there for me to find.
Lisa

What a guy! LOL! Poor toads. I like toads and frogs!

The hub was mowing one time out in our prairie and he clobbered a boa constricter with an 8 foot mower deck. He did not see it until it was too late as it was in tall grass... . It was 7 feet long what parts we could peice together....not native. Had it not got dun in with the mower it would have froze to death in the winter. People can be so stupid turning things lose where they dont go. Apparently it was someones pet and they thought the bog would have been a good home. NOT!

Blossom, you should be able to find information if you look up winter squash. I'd think it would be similar.

The Everglades is filling up with non-natives, quite a problem.

If you get some seeds out, can I get some from you? Even a few seeds would be enough to get a plant or 2. The gourds and squash I have grown so far are really easy and just waiting to grow. They also cross easily :). Might end up with cushaconda fruits, lol.

LOL! yes, but those are live slithery ones down there in the "Glades"! EEEKS!!!

And can you beleive some idiot dumpt a real live boa constrictor in my bog and in my zone? How cruel.

"mom", I can put you on my list but I dont make any guarantees right now for any seed. It will depend how it dries and such. D-mail me and remind me to list you ok! Im betting the seed from my snake though is crossed with Lord knows what!

It will only cross with another (Lagenaria siceraria) hard shell gourd. ( bottle gourd, calabash, birdhouse, pipette, etc.)

Thanks Farmerdill.. I would bet its crossed. It came from a market that carried a lot of varieties in their gourds. Well time will tell.

"mom" d-mail me anyway... ya never know, it could be pure!

If not, it will still be interesting, lol.

Well, maybe the snake ran away from home. They do get out, sometimes

Well, had it lived it would have died that winter freezing to death. I have heard of them busting their aquariums and getting out becasue they have gotten too big for them. People can be so cruel to keep them in something that tight. This one was about 7 feet long.. well what peices we found of him after he went through an 8 foot mower deck.. he was apparently hiding in the tall grass were we were mowing. Poor guy.. but eeks, I dont like snakes, they always have a way of creeping up on me! Like in my pots or under them or some dang place.

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ok, 'mom' I got you on my reserve. I dont guarantee I can send any seed though because its not dry and it might not even be dry by the time it should be planting so I will try to let you know later.

I'm not worried about it either way, only if it works out without damaging your neat gourd :).

Giiiirrrlllss, I bought a packet last spring labeled "Snake Gourd, Fang-tastic" and I haven't even opened it. From Livingston Seed. Just dmail me your addresses. Feels like there's plenty to share, and I still haven't figured out where to plant any of them.

Says they're also known as Italian Cucuzzi, which I believe is the Lagenaria siceraria that Farmerdill mentions. Days to maturity, 100-120 days, and you can start them indoors. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/73599/

"Can be made into musical instruments." This is our chance to finally try out for the Dave's Garden Vegetable Experience.

I did loofa last year and got my seed late. They took several weeks to germinate.. June to October is not enough time. Iam wondering on the snakes since they too are a "long" gourd...I will probably start booth of them in February indoors. The loofa was a slow grower. I suspect the snake is slow too. As your pack says 120 days.. well Frost came early too.. so just some though there.

Evil looking gourd that snake thing is!! LOL!

Now I'm wanting to grow some of those. They would make a really weird guitar! I'll send addy, but don't mail until after Christmas! please.