Gourde Mini Calebasse Bio - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

The Mini Gourd Calabash is a miniature version of the Pilgrim Gourd. Not edible, pear-shaped and cream white, it shares the same characteristics as the Pilgrim Gourd, except for its size. This Mini Calabash measures 4 to 8 cm at the base and 6 to 10 cm in height. Smaller, they are also more numerous per plant: each plant forms 5 to 15. Cute and useful both green and dried, you can sow them from March to June to harvest them from July to November.

The Calabash is an herbaceous plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It is a distant cousin of the squashes, pumpkins, and gourds that we are familiar with. Often called gourd or bottle gourd, it is cultivated both as a vegetable plant and because once dried, its fruit becomes a tool that can be used in a multitude of ways. Calabashes can be found in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It is an annual plant that can creep or climb thanks to its tendrils. Its leaves are widely pubescent and produce a fairly characteristic odor. And in spring, after flowering with large white flowers, it produces round fruits, or with a neck resembling a bottle or amphora. Some varieties can be consumed when very young, like zucchini. However, some are toxic and therefore not edible. On the other hand, when harvested much later, all of them can become kitchen utensils, musical instruments like the Kora - an African harp - or the Berimbao accompanying the Capoeira fighters in Brazil, candle holders, containers for maté or pelvic cases, etc. This is only possible when the fruit has completely dried and the flesh has disappeared. This plant, already mentioned by Pliny the Elder as a container for liquids, was also recommended in the Capitulary of Villis as a plant to be cultivated for the same reasons. This Cucurbitaceae can also be used to dress up trellises and pergolas with a lot of taste.

Harvest: calabashes are fruits that need a lot of sun to give their best, like any plant native to tropical regions. For consumption as zucchini, the fruit will be harvested immature with a slightly tender skin. The taste of calabashes is not very pronounced, but it is an experience to try if they are edible. To make utensils, you will have to wait until the peduncle is completely dry. Harvesting should be done as late as possible.

Storage: if they are harvested to be consumed, the skin must still be tender and the fruits will only keep for a few days in the refrigerator's vegetable drawer. Once completely dry, calabashes can be stored indefinitely. They can be carved, painted, pierced, etc. It's up to you to use your imagination to make them into the object that suits you. When dry, they become very fragile. It is important to handle them with care.

Gardener's tip: calabash fruits should remain on the plant for as long as possible, but bad weather can also cause them to rot. You can then dry them indoors by hanging them up. They are generally vigorous plants with very decorative fruits and flowers. Provide them with a trellis so that they can climb, sprawl, and let their fruits hang down like lanterns. Calabashes do not like humidity. Make sure to give them only the necessary amount of water during the summer.