I don't know anything about Buffalo Gourd so I had to google it. It appears they form massive tap roots which accounts for their root mass. I wonder if that would happen in a container or not.

I suspect, but don't know, that in a container the tap root would get damaged and thus form a more 'normal' root system instead of just a huge taproot. If you sow the seeds in small pots and then transplant you will have the opportunity to see what happens to the tap root.

If you have extra seeds you could even intentionally damage the tap root (snip the growing end off) the instant it forms and see if the plant survives and what kind of roots it forms in response.

My best guess is this is one of those plants that if the seeds are sown in the field the massive tap root will form (because nothing disturbs it), but in a container it will end up producing a more normal, branched root system.

anney:

Why even take a chance with such a plant seeding itself in GA and becoming a pest? Think Kudzu.