I should be asking the same question. We've nicked and soaked, but who's to say we've done it right!
We've met lots of nice people in the Indiana Gourd Society, and maybe you should look someone up in your vicinity and have them show you their method.

For this planting, we just soaked the seeds 24 hours, and planted. That was done on May 7, so we should be seeing the first leaves in a few days.

Good Luck!
Jan

Hi Jan,

I was busy yesterday, so i drained the cups i had seeds soaking in but left them moist, this morning when i planted them (un-nicked cuz i don't where something important might be) I noted that several had cracks in the coats, they're in peat pots in a flat on a heat mat... hopefully that will do the trick?

I'll look for the Gourd people, but I'm pretty out in in the boonies, hard to find any like minds around here...

lynn

There's something to be said for being out in the boonies......
Anyhow, I just learned that the 2008 Indiana Gourd Fest will be held at South Bend. I looked on the map, and that's about as far north you can go in Indiana.

We planted our 24-hour soaked gourd seeds on May 7, and most of them are up now. (10 days) A few of them are beginning to develope their true leaves now.
Let us know how yours are doing.

Jan

Try soaking them in tea. Just plain tea that you let cool. The tanic acid helps soften them up. I have started them with and without nicking them. The way I nick them is after they have soaked I use a dull knife blade and scrap the edges on both long sides. They do seem to sprout faster that way and I am getting about 85% success with both methods. Try kettle gourds instead of birdhouse. They are bigger and the PM's like the large gourds.

This is all good, but where should they be nicked? It seems to me the rounded end would be the place, but I am not sure, Doesn't anyone know? I was going to nick mine before planting but I couldn't find anywhere showing exactly where to do it.

Just try and scrape the long edges. Try it on a few and see if it works for you.
OK, I needed to start some more anyway. I scraped the edges and also nicked the pointed end with large toe nail clippers. I will post back here the results. These are very large and tough Kettle Gourd seeds so it should be a good test

I tried nicking with a triangular file but the seeds I didn't nick seemed to come up just as fast. Could this be a bit of questionable advice?

Maybe Questionable? Who knows? Give it a try. ANYWAY, I checked the seeds that I not only edge scrapeed, but also nicked the pointed off REAL GOOD. BEFORE I nicked I took a sample seed and just took little bites off it and I was suprised at how small the interior kornal actually was. It looks something like a sunflower seed kornal(SP) that you eat. ANYWAY, I checked them this evening and they were all sunk in the water they were soaking in so tomorrow I will plant them and see what is what. The ground is plenty warm here so I am going to just put them in the ground. I will post the results when/if they come up.

patiently awaiting results = )