Hi Sue C, Yes, you can let the little spinners dry on the vine. They won't take long, maybe a month or two. You can also cut them from the vine, leaving about an inch of stem. Just put them in a basket so they'll get plenty of air circulation and they will dry just fine. We are in SE central Illinois, and our gourds, big and small are drying on the vine already. Jan

http://turtlefeathers.com/text/natural-products/growing/saving.html There is a tutorial there you can check out. If it was my gourd I would let it dry so that I could use it to craft - when you hear the seeds rattle inside cut the top off carefully so that it makes a nice bowl perhaps and then get the seeds. You can also check at the American Gourd Society and other gourd sites for more information. If you have a big enough bucket you might want to try the water/rot method that Genepa has mentioned. You can also do a search on google for "gourd drying and seed saving" and see what you come up with. Good luck and let us know how it all turns out. Rita in Michigan

Sandie-I wish I had some of your big gourds! I have a hard time finding them in this part of the country. The only advice I can give you about drying is to sit them off the ground so the air can circulate all around,like on pallets.I think the ones the goats knocked off will be ok.I certainly wouldn't drill holes anywhere in them.Put them in a dry place if possible and never dry them in your house.The mold can be really bad for your sinuses and lungs.Since they are so big it will probably take several months for them to dry,depending on temperatures and such.They are dry when the seeds rattle inside.What are you going to make with them? Good luck with them.......Lillie

The frost really has very little to do with when you should harvest a gourd. If anything, the frost will hasten the death of the vine. Just look for the brown and dry stem, and be sure to leave at least 4 inches of stem on the gourd. Jan