Types

• Hardshell gourds are green before drying.Hemera Technologies/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
  
  Bottleneck gourds are in the Cucurbilaceae family, Lagenaria genus. The common term bottleneck gourds includes several different shapes and sizes of hard-shell gourds such as mini bottle, Mexican bottle, lump in the neck (goose neck), Chinese bottle, Japanese bottle (Siphon), Indonesian bottle and Costa Rican bottle. All bottleneck gourds have a round base and an elongated neck.
  
  

History

• Gourd bowls are used to drink mate tea in South America.Jack Hollingsworth/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Bottleneck gourds originated in Asia and spread to Africa where they were used to carry water and other liquids before the discovery of pottery. They are one of the earliest domesticated plants in the Americas. Gourds are still an important contribution to indigenous people throughout the world; in Africa gourds are used to carry water and food, in Sierra Leone they are turned into musical rattles. In Brazil gourd bowls are used to drink mate, a tea made from the yerba mate plant. Gourds provide an important source of income for Peruvian artists selling gourd purses, vases and jewelry.
  
  

Height

• Gourds growing on a trellis form long straight necks.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Bottleneck gourds grow in height from 1 ½ to 15 inches or more, depending upon the type of seed. Mini bottles are small and often grown to use as jewelry. They grow between 1 ½ and 6 inches tall. Mexican bottles average 10 inches tall, while Costa Rica bottle gourds can reach 15 inches in height.
  
  How the gourds are grown will affect their height. Gourds grown on the ground will have necks that turn and twist into different shapes. Bottleneck gourds grown over a fence or a trellis will have long, straight necks resulting in a taller gourd. Mini bottle gourd vines reach 10 to 12 feet in length. Larger varieties of bottle gourd vine reach 12 to 18 feet in length.
  
  

Growing

• Hardshell gourds growing in a fieldJupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Bottleneck gourds are easy to grow. Plant seeds in the ground after the last frost date -- about the same time as squash or tomatoes in your area. The mini bottles require 90 days' growing time, while the larger varieties need 100 to 120 days. Plant in a sunny location in well-drained soil. Allow plenty of room for the vines to run or grow over a fence or trellis to conserve space. Water until vines are established and then water during periods of drought. Don't plant close to other members of the Cucurbitacea family, including cucumbers, squash or melons, to prevent cross-pollination.