What Kind of Fertilizer Is Used to Plant Bottle Gourds?

When planting, bottle gourds need more potassium and phosphorous than nitrogen.


Bottle gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) are annual plants that grow as a vine and die each winter. They are easy to start again with seeds and are widespread around the globe. The dried gourds can float and travel in seawater for over six months, delivering viable seeds to distant shores. Bottle gourds are frequently grown on a trellis so the gourds can hang until ripe. They can be eaten like squash before they are ripe or harvested as decorative items after they ripen and become hard. Historically, the dried gourds were cut open and used as containers for liquid.


Higher levels of phosphorous encourage better fruiting in the bottle gourd. Before planting add one-tenth pound of phosphorous per 100 square feet of soil. This can be added individually, using organic fertilizers such as bone meal or rock phosphate. Alternatively, it can be added as part of a complete fertilizer with a high phosphorous ratio, such as 4-8-5 or 6-10-10, using approximately 1 or 2 tablespoons per plant.


A large amount of potassium also aids in encouraging the bottle gourd to make fruit instead of more vines. When planting, the soil can be fertilized with one-fifth pound of potassium per 100 square feet. Potash is commonly used in organic gardens as a good source of potassium. Common mineral forms are Potassium nitrate, which is also a source of nitrogen, and Potassium magnesium sulfate which also supplies necessary magnesium to the soil. Complete fertilizers with high ratios of potassium can also be used.


Bottle gourds are sensitive to low amounts of magnesium in the soil. However, unless planted in sandy soils that drain rapidly, magnesium deficiencies do not normally occur. Magnesium should be added to the soil whenever the levels drop below one-fifth pound of magnesium per 100 square feet. Potassium magnesium sulfate, dolomitic limestone or magnesium ammonium phosphate can be used to supplement magnesium in the soil while adding other nutrients simultaneously.


Nitrogen is an important nutrient for all leafy and woody plants because it is a component of every protein. Nitrogen deficiencies are noted by stunted growth and yellowish leaves. Bottle gourds are very vigorous plants that can make use of large quantities of nitrogen, but excess nitrogen will encourage more leaves instead of more fruit. When planting, add an amount of nitrogen that is approximately half that of the added phosphorous, but you can continue adding nitrogen after several weeks, if deficiencies are seen in leaf color or if growth is slower than desired.

About the Author

Joshua Bush has been writing from Charlottesville, Va., since 2006, specializing in science and culture. He has authored several articles in peer-reviewed science journals in the field of tissue engineering. Bush holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University.

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