Live Self Sufficient

I don’t enjoy watching any other plant grow as much as I do pumpkins and gourds. There is just something fun about seeing the fruit begin to grow and then watching them turn into these big objects that can be carved and decorated.

One fun way to enjoy the process of growing pumpkins and gourds even more involves giving the fruit a tattoo. This is a particularly fun project if you have kids that enjoy gardening. With the help of a metal nail file (or any object that has a point on it), you can actually carve your name or a design into the pumpkin or gourd without harming the actual fruit!

Young pumpkins are generally covered with a coat of fuzz for their first few weeks. Once this fuzz has completely disappeared, you will notice that its skin is starting to toughen up. At this point you can tattoo your pumpkin without any repercussions. For gourds, simply wait until the fruit is about a month old.

For the best results, don’t draw full lines on your pumpkin or gourd. Instead, try using a series of dots to create your desired image. As the fruit grows over the next several weeks, you will see a complete image form.

Don’t worry if the fruit leaks some juice when you first make your drawing. You can expect it to continue juicing for a few hours after you are done. Simply take a paper towel and dab away the juice and eventually it will seal up on its own!

Related posts:

1. Preparing to harvest your pumpkins and gourds
2. Cross pollination between pumpkins and gourds
3. Why isn’t my vine producing fruit?
4. Turn your bottleneck gourds into birdhouses
5. Turn your bottleneck gourds into birdhouses