Crown of Thorns is a tender annual with similar growing culture as seen in cucumbers, melons and squash. Gourds are warm-season crops which are grown for their ornamental and culinary purposes and are further classified as: The Cucurbita, The Lagenaria, The Utilitarian, The Ornamental and The Luffa.
Crown of Thorns gourds are four inches broad with spikes kind of mounting on their surface. They come in colors ranging from cream, yellow, orange to green. Crown of Thorns gourds grown in your own vegetable garden can be used in dishes and recipes as a substitute for squash and zucchini. The young, gentle and pre-matured gourd fruit is widely preferred for eating.
Growing gourds is fun and easy. A sunny location with warm climatic conditions is the basic necessity for gourds to thrive. A well-drained rich organic soil with pH of 6.5 to 6.8 is desired for growing gourds. Gourds demand an extended growing season. The seeds are started 2 to 4 weeks prior to planting them outside only after the final frost of the season. Seeds germinate successfully with in 8 to 10 days when sown in individual pots and containers that are placed indoors.
Transplanting seedlings in your garden area should be done with extra care. Do not disturb the roots while placing them in garden beds. Due to their climbing tendency, spacing between the plants is vital; otherwise it may result in overcrowding and poor growth. Gourds easily adapt to climbing up a trellis, a fence or an arbor to support growth.
Planting 2 inches deep, 2 to 3 feet apart in a row and 5 to 8 feet distance between each row is adequate for growing Crown of Thorns in full sun. Well prepared beds of loose fertile soil mixed with compost or peat moss, proper supply of water and growing supplements ensures healthy growing plants. Adding much is advantageous as it helps in conserving the moisture and protects plants from weeds.
When the stems turn brown and dry, it’s the time to harvest. Generally, it takes 100 to 180 days to ripen your home grown Crown of Thorns.