2007-12-31 01:59:08 · 5 answers · asked by Patti M 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Other - Home & Garden
Mildew is a natural process for the gourd drying. After they are completely dry, you mix up a bleach and water bath, and scrub the gourds to free them of the mold. About 1 gallon of hot water and 1/3-1/2 cup of bleach should do the trick. Nothing is wrong with the gourds.....just let them dry then clean them.
2007-12-31 02:18:55 · answer #1 · answered by Toffy 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's not going to hurt them a bit. Someone already posted to use bleach water and scrub them. I let mine dry completely, mold and all, then clean them out. The mold actually leaves some interesting patterns on the gourds. shalack them as it.
Or... if your interested, this is how I use them...
http://www.artmakersworlds.com/gourds.shtml
2007-12-31 12:00:12 · answer #2 · answered by ArtmakerWorlds.com 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Mine did that, too, it is normal from what I read online. The first one I had, I sanded the discoloration off that the mold caused, then you can just paint it or leave it natural.
2007-12-31 11:24:16 · answer #3 · answered by Nature Mother 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My gords mildewed also when they dried out,, I threw them away
2007-12-31 10:53:16 · answer #4 · answered by Gringa_uno 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
If you can wipe off the mildew, and if they haven't started actually rotting yet, you might as well give it a try. What do you have to lose? The worst thing that happens is that the gourds start to rot and you have to toss them out, right?
When I dried gourds, I made a point of wiping them down every couple of days with a mild bleach solution (then drying them immediately). I kept them on newspapers to make sure they stayed dry, and I turned them over every couple of days to make sure that the bottoms didn't mildew.
Mildew or mold or rot is really the big thing that you need to avoid when you are drying gourds.
Good luck!
2007-12-31 10:21:54 · answer #5 · answered by Rivergirl100 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋