Variety traits

Maturity group — bottle gourd, calabash, calabash gourd, white-flower gourd

Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.

The maturity group of the bottle gourd (Lagenaria) is determined by the number of days from seedling emergence to the technical maturity stage of the ovaries or full biological maturity of the fruits for technical purposes.

In the reference 11 varieties crop Calabash, where this is mentioned in the description.

For bottle gourds, maturity metrics are measured in days from sowing to the onset of a specific developmental phase. Technical maturity, used for harvesting young ovaries, occurs 50–75 days after sowing. Reaching biological maturity, required for the formation of a hard fruit shell, takes from 140 to 220 days.

In scientific practice, instead of standard maturity groups, researchers record the dates of male and female flower emergence, and the timing of mass flowering and fruit set. The period until harvest varies significantly depending on the genotype, light intensity, and temperature regime.

Selecting a variety based on maturity timing is critical for the intended use of the crop: early-maturing forms are suitable for vegetable production, as the harvest of young ovaries stimulates further fruiting. Late-maturing forms require the longest possible growing season to complete the formation of the dense fruit wall necessary for technical purposes.

General information about the subject — on the page Maturity group.

Sources8

Varieties of Calabash mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.