You Can Turn Gourds Into Birdhouses - (TIPS, TRICKS & IDEAS To Keep It Simple In this Video!)

[@1sjc4326]

I love the idea of using the metal staples to hang the gourds!

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

They have held up great too, no issues with the hangers and they are cheap! Good luck and thanks for watching!

[@godisnotmocked1345]

You can make fun bird feeders too. And pour painting looks really cool: 1 cup, a bit of 4 different acrylic paints poured in one after the other, and then poured on the outside of the gourd letting it drip and run all over. A hair dryer helps the paint run all over too.

[@Piper7cub]

Great video! I love the natural look. Put a little curved cover / roof over the holes to help with the rain.

[@williamkimmel6487]

Ooh! You have a she shed! 😃 Kim

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Yes I do! I actually had one before they were a thing....My husband bought one for me for our 20th wedding anniversary for me to use as an art studio. :-)

[@karenmckinzie4333]

I would recommend sanding the edges of the whole as a safety factor for the birds. Looks like your edges are too sharp. Great video!

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

I have sanded the holes and haven’t had any issues but if that wasn’t clear I appreciate you bringing up sanding.

[@fashnvain3194]

For string, simply use a very large needle

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Thanks for watching and your comment.

[@truejoie]

Clear, detailed and interesting video about growing birdhouse gourds start to finish. Thank you. We grew the gourds the summer before last for the first time. They are still in my building and I really want to get to work and turn them into Christmas gifts! Like you mentioned, when I grew them I made the mistake of thinking they would be ready for that last year. I think it will be a fun project for the kids to help with!

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Thanks for watching and for your comments. Last year I took the gourds and placed them under my house where they were protected from the weather and there was good air supply. This year I left them on the vine and they look terrible! I am not sure any will dry out before they rot! It is still a learning curve for me as I try different techniques, but they sure are fun and I agree they are a great project for the kids, and a terrific Christmas gift! Good luck!

[@godisnotmocked1345]

If you have a shade garden you can still grow them. I planted two birdhouse gourd plants and have 8 gourds about the same size or a little smaller than the one she holds in the video. The spot they grew in only gets about 3 hours of direct sun. $60 grocery store bought greenhouse as my trellis and grew greens on the shelves in the shade along with pansies and petnias. My favorite spot in the garden. There are two huge trees in the yard so the gourds got dappled sun the rest of the time. I figured if I just got one gourd to make a birdhouse I'd be happy. I'm very happy! FIY: I also grow plenty of other veggies in this minimal sun: tomatoes from cherry to beefsteak, peppers, cucumbers, spaghetti squash, greens, tons of different types of flowers, peas, beans, and potatoes--enough that I have a pantry full of canned food from this year and some in another closet still left over from last year (good for 18 months). And the easiest flowers to grow and most loved by the pollinators are anise hyssop, sunflowers, cosmos, agastache, cypress vine, cardinal climber, and different types of celosia. Oh, and Canterbury Bells. They're biennial, don't flower til 2nd year and then die, but SO BEAUTIFUL! And bees like to sleep inside them. Happy gardening and crafting! I'm also a container gardener; mostly free from the grocery store bakery section or else trash pick up. The pots I used for the gourds: on was about 12 gallons or a little less and the other one was a Walmart reusable cloth bag I got for 50 cents. Most of the money I spend goes to seeds, soil amendments, fertilizer, and preventive measures like Monterey Complete. Gardening can get expensive FAST. Don't let it. Dollar store seeds are great, especially if you're new to it.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Thanks for all that information and I'm so glad that you can grow as much as you do in minimal sunshine. While I haven't had that kind of luck where I am I am encouraged to know you have. I hope that you get many gourds to play around with! You sound like an experienced gardener and I'm sure your birds love you, best of luck giving them a little village around your garden!

[@9Rumrunner]

It's better if you cure the gourds for 2 years. Steel wool is very helpful in cleaning the gourds when cleaning with soapy water. Get a piece of wire, bend it in half and use like a needle to get your string through the pilot holes for hanging the gourd. 😊

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Jojo thanks for all the tips! Curing for two years... hahah...I'm sure you are right but I was going nuts when I realized I couldn't use them the first season. (I was so clueless) So your comment really hits me in my impatience. LOL I think if one plants a crop every year it is easy to always have gourds that are ready, and I'll take your word that two years are better, now that I have a supply it's easier to wait but that first year was a tough, I wanted immediate results. Steel wool sounds like a great idea and I can see that being a great solution. You gave a lot of terrific advice and I appreciate it!

[@9Rumrunner]

@@MichelleRaeLandry hope you have success with your gourds! I've been working with them for several years. Good luck with your endeavor. Loved your video!

[@francescowart6034]

Thanks for the video. I am gonna try gourds for the 1st time this year.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Good Luck! Watch videos on drying them out- there are a lot of different opinions out there!

[@dizzyk54]

Thanks this was a big help!!🥰

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

I'm glad. Thanks for watching!

[@merriegiles5922]

Love crafts. So glad I found you searching for growing gourds

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Welcome! I'm glad you found me too! We've had sooooo much rain this year my plants rotted, so no birdhouses for me to make next year. I hope your gourd season was successful!

[@merriegiles5922]

@MichelleRaeLandry I have twelve really good-sized ones hanging on the vine. Since we are desert hoping I can let them dry in the garden lol

[@WarmFuzzyVibes]

I like the varnished ones, too. I would also put a dab of clear silicone caulk in the holes for the hanger to keep water from dripping in there. How did these work and weather?

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Hi there! I like your idea about the clear silicone caulk in the holes. This was my first batch ever and they have weathered well with most of them still in use having said that I am noticing on some of them the varnish is starting to peel off. I put a couple out with no varnish and although I feel like the outside isn’t as pretty, they have weather just as well. I don’t take them in the winter time and I live in New Hampshire with lots of snow, So far so good!

[@tribulation138]

In my experience I leave my gourds on vine till November right after Halloween. A couple of them were already dried out bleached from the sun. The rest I put in my shed on milk crates. I even put some in the corner of my basement next to my woodstove to finish drying.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Hi, thanks for the response and your experience. I left mine on the vine last fall to try that and they did not do well. I think we are too exposed where we live and the wind is too much. Most of them were battered and didn't fare well. I think putting them on milk crates and keeping them somewhere dry is the best bet for sure. If I had a wood stove I think that would be a great place for them as well. Thanks for continuing the conversation and offering ideas and feedback!

[@LaMoynihan1]

What a wonderful video. I’ve seen these painted but really like the varnished natural look.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Thanks Ann, I prefer the natural look as well. I can't say I love the varnish I tried, I think I'd like to try a rub in varnish or oil next time.

[@johnjude2685]

As you I sanded but 80 grit paper I first drill the inter holes 3/4" for wrens and larger if desired. Third a few drainage holes around bottom 3/8" diameter then insert air compression blower and let it blast out the seeds and save the biggest hard brown ones for planting. Yes keep the holes for the birds lower to help protect from raining. You given loads of helpful information 👍 thumbs up 👍 Thanks for the planting in the hill for drainage. I've been having failure probably poor drainage issues.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Hi John, I love when people chime in! I hope the video gets people excited for the project, and the comment section is filled with helpful info. like what you supplied. I LOVE the tip about the air compressor and saving the brown seeds for planting. Who knew???? ;-) It's funny you mention hill planting because I grew up in New England and we always plant on hills for drainage. It's how my parents taught me, but when I started in a community garden there was great debate by people who grew up in other areas of the country about these hills and how " unorganized" they made a garden look. I was criticized for the look but I did get results. I have always planted any squash or gourds in hills. One other thing with gourds, I was very unsuccessful with my gourds for a long time because I was planting them in container gardens and raised beds, It wasn't until I was in a "true" garden with deep soil and tall hills that I started to get the most success. I also find that I plant mine at the end of beds near the fencing so they can trellis up and spread out. When they are planted too close together I find they don't do as well, so I end rows of other crops with two hills of gourds, so they tend to be in several places in my gardens. They certainly can be finicky though. Have you tried the spinning top gourds...those are fun! Thanks for your contribution to the comment section. We all can learn from each other and I appreciate your time in watching and in commenting.

[@johnjude2685]

@@MichelleRaeLandry I'm 6a mid Ohio and what gourge other than birdhouse gourge will grow here. I'm learning carving and is there a carving gourge good in Ohio. Yes we learn from others. Thanks for your nice words and teachings

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

@@johnjude2685 carving sounds like fun. I don’t know much about different types of gourds, but I grew these a few years ago and you don’t have to hollow these out… and they are small. Not sure if they would be a candidate for you but I bet they would look cool spinning with patterns carved onto them! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqaulouAaa9sgJI

[@PatrickMusilek]

Fantastic video! Thank you so much!

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Thanks so much!

[@funsmasher7018]

Cut one open when it is green, and it is melon like on the inside, Also, I dry mine in a food dehydrator. Takes several, maybe 10 days at 120 degrees. Better than months, with no mold.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Thanks for your feedback and comment. Very interesting. How big is that dehydrator? Sounds huge if you can fit gourds inside- great idea!

[@funsmasher7018]

@@MichelleRaeLandry The dehydrator is a Cosori, and measures 18" x 14" x 12" high. Right now, I have 5 or 6 small gourds in it. The trick is to keep temps low, and not cook the gourd, but dry it slowly so as not to warp. These small ones take 4 or 5 days 24 hours a day at 115 degrees F.

[@kessell637]

Hi! I have used gourds for bird houses for many years. They’re more work than one would assume, aren’t they? A couple of points...First, I don’t get too exacting about getting all the stuff out; the birds will do the housekeeping. Second, you might want to do some research on the needs of whatever birds you’re attempting to attract. Hole size is important, as is the depth of the nesting cavity. I love your idea for the hangers!

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Great tips Jan! I had heard about the birds liking the insides for nesting, good to know that we don't have to take much out. I downloaded a little chart of hole size to attract certain birds, this year we settled on 1.5 inches because of the birds in our yard, but I'd like to get a variety of hole attachments so in future years we can make the holes smaller and bigger. I'd love to know since you have experience with them...is there any place you hang them that you find is more popular? I soooo appreciate your input and tips, thanks so much!

[@kessell637]

@@MichelleRaeLandry it looks like your yard is adjacent to a wildlife-rich area with brush, trees, and water. I hang mine in trees with bushes or plantings under them. When baby birds leave the nest, they really don’t fly well for several days so they need the undergrowth to hide in for a while. I also don’t hang the gourds too close to the tree trunk so critters are less likely to find the eggs or nestlings. I’m in the Willamette Valley of Oregon near Salem. We are bordered by farm land on three sides, and we get a lot of wildlife, too. This year with Covid keeping us home my husband has joined in the bird watching, feeding, bird house hanging. We are having so much fun with it all.

[@robrenhar]

Getting ready to varnish and needed to see some instruction. Thank you for all the extra added tips. So very useful and so pretty. THANK YOU SO MUCH. GREAT VIDEO!!

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Hi Robin, thanks for watching and commenting. What Varnish did you end up going with? Now that I'm through the whole season I actually can say I like my unvarnished better. Both are fine, but the Varnished got darker as the season and the sunshine hit them and my unvarnished stayed exactly the same. I don't think I LOVED the spray varnish I used in the video now that I have a season of watching how it ages, so I hope you will share your results here and I'm going to try maybe something new next year. Keep me posted!

[@louisestevenson5102]

I watched a video where a lady sands here for super shiny with a sander with 3 heads on the sander uses just 1 and sand 2x each grade last one is 1200 fine then waxes

[@judy6219]

Hi Michelle. Have you ever tried gourd dye? I use it on a lot of my gourd projects. Also, the birdhouse that the hole was drilled a bit too high, how about putting a small “roof” over the hole? I love your work, and the way you teach. 🪺

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

I have never heard of gourd dye but now I'm going to look it up. Thanks for the tips and I really appreciate you adding your experience to the comments. You are appreciated!

[@alohacreations2915]

Michelle!!!😍 Watched this video last night and I tell you, I wanted to garden right there and then!😂 Wow! I have never in my life seen these or know anything about gourds! I am always learning from you my friend! And thank you for showing the process, good and the bad. I miss my garden. Now, I just have a balcony garden and so everything is grown in pots. I’m on the top floor and it can get very windy up here. These are so unique and one of a kind! Real awesome! 😍🤩 tfs your wisdom and skills! 🥰🙌🏼💖the varnish state is so beautiful! 👌🏽 Haha! Dad jokes! (My kids could write a book on their Dad jokes!)

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Aloha, I wish I could share them with you! Sounds like gourds are not in your future but I really appreciate you watching, commenting and as always supporting all the directions that my videos go. LOL Hugs to you my friend.

[@alohacreations2915]

@@MichelleRaeLandry awwwww! Sad but true!🥲 I will just live vicariously through you Michelle!😆😅

[@maudhiemstra]

Hi Michelle, oh wow 🤩 these goards are amazing. I will look into it if we can grow these in the Netherlands. We do have all kinds, but never seen these ones in a garden here. So much fun to hang out with you and your family and doggies. Hugs from Maud

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Hi Maud, I hope you find you can grow them because they were definitely a fun addition to our garden. We tend to have a short growing season... End of May to first hard frost which can be anytime in Mid Sept. to October. The variety I used was Bottle Gourds, I'd love to try Gooseneck too! Thanks for watching and for all your support. xo

[@terryfitzpatrick7651]

Thanks lots of useful information

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Thank you Terry!

[@ronlavallee1755]

Great to see yet another way to be creative...got my mind thinking about what I could do to enhance my backyard! After thinking about this particular video, though, I decided to pass on a birdhouse. I guess I'm worried that my neighbors will think I'm out of my gourd 😂💛🌰

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

OMGosh Ron... I thought the Dad Joke was bad... you might have just topped it. LOL As always thanks for supporting my tangents. You are awesome!

[@ronlavallee1755]

@@MichelleRaeLandry 😂I may not be a dad...but my jokes are just as bad😉

[@maryakmacic4770]

Hi Michelle, Love your gourds. Where can I get the seeds from please. Those particular ones in your video.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Hi Mary, thanks for the question. I've had great luck ordering from Baker Creek Seeds. I Buy the Birdhouse Bourd GD108 which is $3.50 for a package. I'll put the link here. www.rareseeds.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gourds

[@paulbalogh4582]

What, region , zone are you in for drying the gourds outside? I’m in SE MI & 2nite is the first frost. They are still hanging on the vines right now.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

Hi Paul, I'm probably pretty much the same zone as you. I'm Southern NH a little over an hour from SE Maine. When I was researching it looks like many people keep them out all winter... I guess it depends how much room one has for storage and where.

[@paulbalogh4582]

Yeah - i need to clean up so I’m going to take mine to a barn at another location for the winter. Thx!

[@tammymurphy1268]

The mold is the gourd curimg.process.... just dont bri.g them inside any living areas

[@nchestercountynews4955]

Ever use boiled linseed oil?

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

I haven’t but I’d like to try something new this year. I wasn’t 100% a fan of the spray varnish.

[@nchestercountynews4955]

@@MichelleRaeLandrySeems Linseed oil is more "natural". I have it on 7 gourds now and will set them out in the next weeks or so. Wondered if the odor would dissuade any birds from nesting. Time will tell.

[@MichelleRaeLandry]

@@nchestercountynews4955 I’d love to know how it turns out. I found the varnish on some gourds ( the ones in wetter areas) turned very dark and dirty looking over the summer. I think a more natural approach is a good idea. Hopefully the smell fades quickly. I know little about that oil but if it’s safe for birds it sounds like a solid choice.