In this video, the speaker takes on the challenge of growing a completely natural water bottle out of one of the world’s first cultivated plants, the bottle gourd. The process takes an entire year, but the speaker guides the viewers through each step, from planting the seeds to crafting the water bottle.
Starting in the spring, the speaker plants two bottle gourd seeds in a tray along with some pumpkin seeds. A few weeks later, the seedlings are planted out in a corn patch, where they grow for four months of warm weather. The vines also grow well vertically, and the hanging fruits develop a better shape. During the summer, the plants grow rapidly and explode out of the corn patch into the full sunlight, where they produce a ton of white flowers that bloom at night and get pollinated by moths and bees. The speaker harvests two bottle gourds to show how they can be used to create a water bottle and a few other things. The rest of the gourds are left to dry and cure for six months fully exposed to the sun, rain, and frost over the winter. Once the plants have died back, the speaker cuts the top off the gourd and removes the seeds and membrane from the inside, leaving behind a completely hollow water bottle.
Key Takeaways
- Bottle gourds are one of the world’s first cultivated plants and have been used for thousands of years for many different things.
- The process of growing and crafting a completely natural water bottle from a bottle gourd takes an entire year and involves planting the seeds, growing the vines, flowering and pollination, harvesting and use, and drying and curing.
- Supporting climate solutions and projects like those offered by Ren can help individuals reduce their carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Planting the Seeds
In the video, the speaker showcases the process of growing a completely natural water bottle out of one of the world’s first cultivated plants, the bottle gourd. The speaker starts off in the spring by planting two bottle gourd seeds in a tray along with some other pumpkin seeds. A few weeks later, the seedlings are planted out in the corn patch so that they would trail along the ground underneath the corn plants during the summertime.
The bottle gourds need around four months of nice warm weather to grow to maturity, and they do best when given plenty of water as they grow. These vines also grow really well vertically, and usually, the hanging fruits develop a better shape. Later in the season, the speaker decides to make a quick no-dig garden bed at the base of the fence. These plants prefer a well-drained, moist, rich soil. After laying down cardboard to suppress the grass, the speaker places some good compost over the top and then sows a seed directly under the fence so that it can climb up.
The plants grow really rapidly over the summer and explode out of the corn patch into the full sunlight which is what they really need in order to thrive. Bottle gourd vines put out a ton of these awesome-looking white flowers. They bloom at night, and their white color stands out well in the moonlight where they get pollinated by moths. They also seem to be open in the mornings and evenings too though, so bees were able to help them out with the pollination as well.
The bottle gourds produce separate male and female flowers which are quite easy to tell apart. The female flowers have a shorter stem and if you look at the base of the flower, it has an ovary the shape of the fruit. The male flowers have quite long stems and no fruit forming at the base, and you can also see some differences within the flower once they open up.
There are also a bunch of fruits forming too which is awesome to see. If you choose, you can also eat bottle gourds while they’re young. They’re quite versatile and they taste a bit like zucchini or courgette and they can be used in similar ways to those vegetables as well and stir-fries and curries and a bunch of other types of meals too.
Once the plants had died right back, the speaker ended up leaving the gourds in a pile in the garden just sitting on some mulch for around six months fully exposed to the sun, rain, and frost over the winter. Some people like to dry these in a woodshed or somewhere undercover, but it’s usually not necessary because they can handle the weather really well. The black mold on the bottle gourds is completely normal and when you scrub it away, it leaves behind a really interesting and unique pattern on each gourd.
These gourds are now ready to make the water bottle and a few other things. The speaker uses a stainless steel scrubber and some water to scrub the dirt and the mold off the outside of the gourd. After that, the speaker uses a bit of sandpaper to get it nice and smooth. The top of the gourd is cut off, and the seeds and everything inside are used to dislodge as much as possible off the inner wall of the gourd.
Growing the Vines
To grow bottle gourds, one must start with the seeds in the spring. The seeds should be planted in a tray with other pumpkin seeds. Once the seedlings have grown, they should be planted in a corn patch where they can trail along the ground underneath the corn plants. These plants need around four months of nice warm weather to grow to maturity, and they do best when they are given plenty of water. The vines also grow really well vertically, and usually, the hanging fruits develop a better shape. Therefore, it is recommended to make a quick no-dig garden bed at the base of the fence, where the plants can climb up.
Bottle gourd vines put out a ton of these awesome-looking white flowers that bloom at night and are pollinated by moths. They produce separate male and female flowers, which are quite easy to tell apart. The female flowers have a shorter stem and have an ovary at the base of the flower, whereas the male flowers have quite long stems and no fruit forming at the base. Once the flowers have bloomed, a bunch of fruits will start forming, and if one chooses, they can also eat bottle gourds while they’re young. They’re quite versatile and taste a bit like zucchini or courgette and can be used in similar ways to those vegetables as well as in stir-fries, curries, and a bunch of other types of meals too.
Once the plants have died back, the gourds should be left out in the sun, rain, and frost over the winter for around six months fully exposed to the elements. After this period, the gourds are ready to be used to make water bottles and other things. The black mold that grows on the gourds as they dry is completely normal, and when scrubbed away, it leaves behind a unique pattern on each gourd.
Bottle gourds are thought to be one of the world’s first cultivated plants and have been used for thousands of years for many different things, from musical instruments, utensils, containers, fishnet floats, and more. Although these originally came from Africa, it’s thought that they spread to other parts of the world by floating across the ocean.
Overall, growing bottle gourds is a long process that requires patience and attention to detail. However, the end result is a completely natural water bottle that is not only functional but also sustainable.
Flowering and Pollination
The bottle gourd plants put out a lot of white flowers that bloom at night and stand out well in the moonlight. These flowers get pollinated by moths. However, they also seem to be open in the mornings and evenings, allowing bees to help with pollination as well. Bottle gourd vines produce separate male and female flowers, which are easy to tell apart. The female flowers have a shorter stem and an ovary at the base of the flower, which is the shape of the fruit. On the other hand, the male flowers have long stems and no fruit forming at the base. Once the flowers are pollinated, fruits start forming. The fruits are edible when young and can be used in similar ways to zucchini or courgette. The bottle gourd is one of the world’s first cultivated plants, and it has been used for thousands of years for many different things, including musical instruments, utensils, containers, and fishnet floats. The plants are thought to have originated from Africa and spread to other parts of the world by floating across the ocean.
Harvesting and Use
The process of growing and harvesting bottle gourds to make a completely natural water bottle is a year-long journey. The bottle gourd is one of the world’s first cultivated plants and has been used for thousands of years for many different things, from musical instruments to utensils, containers, fishnet floats, and more.
To grow the bottle gourds, the seeds are planted in the spring. The plants need around four months of nice warm weather to grow to maturity and do best when given plenty of water. The vines also grow well vertically, and hanging fruits develop a better shape. The plants prefer a well-drained, moist, rich soil.
Bottle gourd vines put out a ton of white flowers that bloom at night and are pollinated by moths. They produce separate male and female flowers, which are quite easy to tell apart. The female flowers have a shorter stem and an ovary at the base of the flower, while the male flowers have quite long stems and no fruit forming at the base.
Once the fruits start forming, they can be harvested while still young and used in similar ways to zucchini or courgette in stir-fries and curries. However, for making a water bottle, it is best to let the gourds dry and cure on the plants for as long as possible.
After the plants have died back, the gourds are left to dry and cure for around six months, fully exposed to the sun, rain, and frost over the winter. They develop black mold as they dry, which is completely normal. Once fully dry, the seeds and membrane come fully loose on the inside of the gourd.
To make a water bottle, the gourd is scrubbed with a stainless steel scrubber and some water to remove dirt and mold. It is then sanded to get it nice and smooth before cutting off the top. The seeds and everything inside are used to dislodge as much as possible off the inner wall of the gourd.
Overall, the process of growing and harvesting bottle gourds to make a natural water bottle is a fascinating journey that requires patience and attention to detail.
Drying and Curing
After harvesting the bottle gourds, they need to be dried and cured before they can be used for making water bottles or other items. The process of drying and curing the gourds can take up to six months.
To begin the process, the gourds are left to dry in a pile in the garden, fully exposed to the sun, rain, and frost over the winter. While some people prefer to dry them in a woodshed or somewhere undercover, it is usually not necessary because they can handle the weather quite well.
It is important to note that the gourds develop black mold as they dry. This is completely normal and even desirable, as the mold creates a unique pattern on each gourd. However, it is important to ensure that the gourds are somewhere well-ventilated during the drying process to prevent mold growth in an enclosed space.
Once the gourds have dried and the seeds and membrane have come loose on the inside, they are ready to be used for making water bottles or other items. The dried gourds are hollow and lightweight, making them ideal for use as containers.
It is worth noting that bottle gourds have been cultivated for thousands of years and have been used for a variety of purposes, including musical instruments, utensils, containers, and fishnet floats. They are versatile and can be eaten when young, tasting similar to zucchini or courgette, and can be used in a variety of dishes like stir-fries and curries.
Overall, the drying and curing process is an important step in preparing bottle gourds for use as containers or other items. It takes time and patience, but the end result is a unique and sustainable alternative to plastic containers.
Crafting the Water Bottle
The process of crafting a water bottle from a bottle gourd involves several steps. The first step is to plant bottle gourd seeds in the spring, along with other pumpkin seeds. The seeds are planted in a tray and later transplanted to a corn patch where they can trail along the ground underneath the corn plants. The plants require around four months of warm weather to mature and grow best when given plenty of water.
As the vines grow, they can be trained to grow vertically, with the hanging fruits developing a better shape. In the later part of the season, a no-dig garden bed is made at the base of the fence, where the plants can climb up. The plants prefer a well-drained moist soil, and good compost is added over the cardboard to suppress grass.
The bottle gourd vines produce a ton of white flowers that bloom at night and are pollinated by moths. The female flowers have a shorter stem and an ovary at the base of the flower, while the male flowers have long stems and no fruit forming at the base. The fruits start to form, and if harvested while young, they taste similar to zucchini or courgette and can be used in various dishes.
Once the plants have died back, the gourds are left in a pile in the garden for around six months, fully exposed to the sun, rain, and frost over the winter. They develop black mold as they dry, which is normal and can be scrubbed away, leaving behind a unique pattern on each gourd.
To make the water bottle, the dirt and mold are scrubbed off the outside of the gourd using a stainless steel scrubber and water. A bit of sandpaper is used to smooth the surface before cutting off the top. The seeds and membrane inside are shaken to dislodge as much as possible off the inner wall of the gourd.
The top is then cut off using a hacksaw with fine teeth, and the seeds and membrane are removed from the inside. The bottle gourd is now ready to be used as a water bottle or for other purposes.
Making the Water Bottle
The process of making a completely natural water bottle out of a bottle gourd takes an entire year. The first step is to plant bottle gourd seeds in the spring. The seeds need around four months of warm weather to grow to maturity. During the summer, the vines grow really well vertically and usually develop a better shape when hanging. Bottle gourd plants prefer a well-drained, moist, and rich soil.
Once the plants have grown, they put out a ton of white flowers that bloom at night and get pollinated by moths. The female flowers have a shorter stem and an ovary at the base of the flower, while the male flowers have quite long stems and no fruit forming at the base. The fruits start forming during the summer, and if you choose, you can eat bottle gourds while they’re young.
After the plants have died back, the gourds need to be left to dry and cure for around six months. They can be left exposed to the sun, rain, and frost over the winter. Once they are fully dry, the seeds and membrane come fully loose on the inside of the gourd.
To make the water bottle, the dirt and mold need to be scrubbed off the outside of the gourd using a stainless steel scrubber and some water. Then, the gourd needs to be sanded down to get it nice and smooth. The top needs to be cut off, and the seeds and everything inside can be used to dislodge as much as possible off the inner wall of the gourd.
The gourd can then be used as a completely natural water bottle.