i need some gourds out of season by feb 19th '23 : P

Asking here because I have no other resource or idea where to look...

I need a couple of gourds (and I may need some more after that or in the future) and it's not gourd season, i've tried calling around to farmers markets and natural food stores to find nobody has a clue of where to look or who to call.  

Not being a gourd expert i'm not even sure how many types there would be but i'm starting with a generic inquiry to see what's available before narrowing down things.  Although they're not for eating it can't be like already hollowed out, something fresh...  any ideas?

Fresh meaning green and recently harvested?  Or just a gourd that was harvested in the fall and is now dry with all the seeds and stuff still inside?

Might help to say where you live.  I have some birdhouse gourds that are dry and fully intact.

Yeah recently harvested and still alive, it's for a native american thing...  too late to grow (and i'm inexperienced and would be indoors) and too out of season to find anywhere it seems.

I guess it's hard to find freshly harvested ones this time of the year. Maybe people still have them on vine in the tropical area?
I grew apple gourds last year and picked a few immature ones before frost in Oct and they still look green but a bit wrinkly. I also have dried but intact birdhouse gourds and apple gourds with moldy skins removed. Let me know if you need some.

I'm a lumper, rather than a splitter: Things are more alike than different. To me, any squash in the grocery store right now could be called a gourd. Acorn squash and Delicata are even the same species as what people call decorative gourds. Butternut is a close relative.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I'm a lumper, rather than a splitter: Things are more alike than different. To me, any squash in the grocery store right now could be called a gourd. Acorn squash and Delicata are even the same species as what people call decorative gourds. Butternut is a close relative.

I was told squash wouldn't be acceptable... i dont understand all the ins and outs, its a native american spirituality thing (its for my wife who is native), and it needs to be from a species of gourd (something long necked ideally) that originally was from here (i'm counting that as north america) as a species (not like a japanese gourd being grown here) and was also grown here. (which would mean not a north american gourd grown elsewhere and reimported, if something like that was the case)

I thought I had leads on two of them but the person I paid money to walked off with the money and I still have no gourds.  :(  Can anyone help me out?  I'm willing to drive even if I have to - i'm in fargo ND right now and would probably go as far as 200-some miles if I had to, if I could find something that fits the criteria.  (species from here, grown here, still alive or at least very recently harvested/not already dried out or dead or hollowed)

I'll be checking back daily, I think I have until fri or sat to pick it up (to still have time before having to call off a thing for sunday or monday that she needs done), if no gourd no native ceremony.  : P

You might contact a gourd farm and see if they will fedex an “in the process of drying” one to you. I don’t have any specific recommendations for you but one that I’ve followed on Facebook is Welburn Gourd Farm in Fallbrook, CA.  (760)728-4271. Info@welburngourdfarm.com.
That sucks that you were ripped off. At least this one has a Facebook “presence” so hopefully better luck. Or you can search for others there.

May Lotito wrote:I grew apple gourds last year and picked a few immature ones before frost in Oct and they still look green but a bit wrinkly. I also have dried but intact birdhouse gourds and apple gourds with moldy skins removed. Let me know if you need some.

Checking with the native man who does the ceremony, hope i hear back in time.  His main specifics were it had to be a species found in the native 48 states, and still alive (not all the way dead and dried out), and i dont know if sending in fedex/ups would kill it with frost in mailing creating possibly an additional problem unless youre like in the MN/ND/SD area...

I'm seeing if there's any way things could still be done next month if I fail the original date.