On Tue, 10 Feb 1998 06:12:24 -0600 Pat Storer R-Zu-2-U wrote: >Can anyone tell me the most opportune time to plant in Texas - Houston-San >Antonio area? Is there any point in starting seeds indoors first? Thanks. Gourds are not different than any other plant in the garden as far as growing is concerned. Find out how many days to maturity the plant takes, depending on the type of gourd you chose that can be anywhere from perhaps 90-180 days Example - if the gourd you are planting takes 100 days to maturity then - First - find the date of the average last frost in the spring Second - find the date of the average first frost in the fall Is there 100 days inbetween the dates + 7-14 days. Gourds should not be planted outdoors until after the ground has warmed. This is generally 1-2 weeks after the average last spring frost date. In my area - south central Ohio the average last frost in spring is May 15, the average first frost in fall in Oct 15. But adding 2 weeks for the ground to warm pushes it up to Jun 1st. That give me 4 1/2 months - average 30 days. About 135 days if I reckon right. Now if the gourd I'm growing takes 180 days I'm a little short here for planting seeds. If it takes 90-120 I'm pretty safe. If the gourd takes 130 days I would still start the seeds indoors, no sense in riding on the edge. Folks talk about transplant shock, where the plant will be set back. If the plants are properly hardened off, planted on a cloudy day and/or rainy day and/or later in the day to avoid a blazing sun when first set out they should do ok. Don't forget to water in throughly. If you are afraid of transplant shock, then add at least one more week to your time table. Now if after figuring everything out, you find out you have 120 days to deal with, and your plant/gourd takes 180 days you can start the seeds indoors, that is, if they're petunias. But a gourd started two months ahead of time in doors would be nigh impossible to deal with. In that case - plant gourds that take less time to mature. :) The only other exception to this would be, when counting your days, if "when the ground is warm" coincides with perhaps two weeks of severe rain in your area, you would have to add those days on as well. This is probably as clear as mud. Comes from those two weeks of rain. :) Lillian Kepp thekepps@bright.net