Ornamental gourds are easy to grow and prepare at home.

Ornamental gourds are almost as popular as pumpkins and chrysanthemums for fall decorations, and for the do-it-yourself gardener, they are also fairly easy to grow.

Gourds are closely related to pumpkins and squash and thrive in hot Kansas summers. The key to making them last a long time as decorations, however, is all in the harvest and initial treatment.

Leave gourds on the vine until they become lightweight or until the stems and nearby tendrils (threadlike pieces of stems that help the plant climb) begin to brown. If in doubt, leaving a gourd on the vine too long is better than harvesting early. Use a knife or loppers to clip gourd stems from the vine a few inches from the top of the fruit.

The next step depends a little on personal preference and a little on the type of gourds.

Small, brightly colored gourds (usually the size of a tennis ball or baseball with a crooked neck attached) will last through the fall without a lot of extra care. Wash them in warm soapy water and rinse with a household disinfectant such as vinegar, or skip washing and simply wipe them down with a cloth dampened with disinfectant if preferred. Washing and disinfecting helps to remove any clinging soilborne pathogens that speed decay of gourds.

Medium-sized gourds such as the turban gourd may be treated in the same way as small gourds.

Larger gourds such as the bottle or birdhouse gourd, hardshell gourd or dipper gourd are cousins to the smaller gourds and need a little more TLC. They need an additional four to five weeks to dry after harvest. They can be washed and disinfected before and after the additional drying period or you can simply wait until after the gourds are finished drying to wash them.

For the extended drying period, place freshly harvested gourds in a dry, well-ventilated space such as on a porch or in a shed. Turn gourds daily and examine for decay or soft spots. Discard gourds that begin to rot, and expect to lose 20 to 30 percent of the fruits to decay. After about a week, the outer skins of the gourds should feel hard. Move gourds to a warm, dry, dark location such as an attic, basement or closet, where they will continue to dry for three to four weeks. Check and turn gourds every few days and continue to cull those that show signs of decay. Gray surface mold may appear on gourds’ skin but is harmless.

Fully dried and ready to use gourds are lightweight with seeds that rattle inside. When the gourds are completely dry, wash in warm, soapy water. To allow them to soak long enough to give them a good scrubbing, you may need to use a wet towel to hold them down in the water. Use a scrubber or steel wool to remove surface mold.

If gourds will be displayed au naturel, a little surface wax or shellac will give them a nice glossy finish. Floor paste wax or furniture wax works well.

Dried gourds can also be painted, dyed, carved into birdhouses, or otherwise crafted however the imagination leads. Waxing gourds after painting or crafting may extend the shelf-life. Re-wax every three to four months or as needed for maximum durability.

Bottle, canteen, and dipper gourds were traditionally used as their names imply and can still be used as such after drying. Gourds are sometimes referred to as nature’s pottery.

— Jennifer Smith is a former horticulture extension agent for K-State Research and Extension and horticulturist for Lawrence Parks and Recreation. She is the host of “The Garden Show.”