So are you guys saying that I shouldn't worry about a freeze? I'm sure it would kill the stems and leaves, but do the gourds tolerate it? Yes, that is what we are all saying. ;) Would that also apply to my dipper gourds that are a bit behind in their maturity? Yes. Peggy said "cold weather doesn't bother gourds at all". Variety makes no difference. Next year try to get them planted much earlier. All varieties of gourds need as long a growing session as possible for best results. Starting them from seed inside so they are ready to transplant as soon as the ground warms a bit gets you a good head start. The Gourd forum linked above has a great deal of additional info contained in the many posts there as well as lots of general tips and tricks for success. Good luck and enjoy your gourds. Dave

Hi Vicky, just a few things I want to add. - You say the upper layer of your soil is loamy - we have loamy/rocky/sandy subsoil, it seemed plenty stiff when we dug the pond, five (six?) years ago, and we slightly angled the sides and made the various levels level. Since then we have had major rain issues twice. Even though we ourselves are not in a flood prone location, the ground got so waterlogged that the water pressure outside the pond pretty much equaled the water pressure inside the pond. And the loam/rock/sand shifted. All surfaces are now sloping in, nothing is level, it's slippery and in-the-pond maintenance is fun, but a little dangerous. I lost my brand new cell phone last year when I lost my footing and slid in face first... couldn't get a grip to get out right away... green in my hair etc etc... we laugh about it now but it was pretty frustrating, especially when the phone never recovered. So, when we put in a settling chamber along the side of the pond two years ago, we invested in concrete blocks, and build straight walls with them. They are hollow, you know them, two squarish opening in a rectangular concrete block, and we put soil and rocks back in those openings. Rebar through them from top to bottom. And we slid back every row an inch or so, so there ends up being a slight back angle of sorts. This construction has held perfectly since. Wasn't too expensive, and easier for laymen like ourselves than a concrete collar. - I also recommend a bd (bottom drain) on an external pump. Much easier to maintain than a submerged pump and filter box. - I think planting pockets are the way to go. Make them different depths so you have multiple options. In the corners is a great idea, there are liner folds there, and a plant pocket is a great way to put that to good use. We have a 2-inch plant shelf and it usually has a potted hosta and a potted daylily on it, they love always having water available. And one of our froggies calls that shelf home. Our other plant shelves are so slanted now that we have to hunt for a place to put the pots with them not sliding down... But, we manage. It looks very rustic. - For the heron, Ms. Slomo likes to stop by here and stare into the pond, so we have a fish line strung a foot above ground around the pond. This trip line confuses her enough that she doesn't actually go fishing. The dog also does her best to chase her off. The dog, of course, really is a bit scared of a bird that large, and merely looks like a threat, but Ms. Slomo is long gone before she finds out. Heehee. :) Mary

The new growth from the bottom can be selected and make new trunks that will grow larger over the coming years. Stop cutting them out until you are sure the old ones are alive or dead. Have you tried a scratch test to see if the cambium layer on the "old" trunks is still alive? The cambium is just under the bark - if it is brown, the branch is dead. Check a few of the branches on the old trunks to see. If there is green, then keep waiting. My CMs are still in slow mode and have done little as yet - I had 2 which had leafed out and got frosted, but all of them are mostly sitting, except for bottom shoots. You may get sprouts from the roots for the life of the tree - some CMs do and some don't. As I said, if the "old" trunks are dead, then letting as many new stems grow up as you want (I suggest 3-5, but it's up to you), will replace them. Just cut out the dead ones, carefully, so as not to damage their replacements, then let the new ones grow over the summer. You may or may not get flowers this year. And if there is another major cold spell, either before they go dormant, or in late spring, you may have it all to do over again. Just be thankful the CMs have strong root systemsd and can come back. Resist the urge to fertilize them for another few weeks, until you know what's happening to them. CMs don't need much fertilizer anyway.

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