Opo-Squash (Lagenaria Siceraria)

Opo-Squash/mottled-Bottle Gourd/cucuzza squash/bầu sao

Opo-Squash or “Mottled Bottle Gourd” is a very common vegetable found in Asian/Vietnamese cuisine (known as “bầu sao”) cuisine. Used in various stir-fry and soup dishes, it is an easy plant to grow if you are looking to feed a family. The texture is more of a cross between a squash and a melon and has a high water content. Once the summer heat kicks in, the plant is prolific and puts out many flowers for more food production.

FUN FACT: “Bầu Sao” (Pronounced “b-OH S-ow”) translated from Vietnamese to English means “Star Gourd” in reference to the yellow speckled “stars” that appear on the flesh of the fruit.

Growing Opo-Squash

Botanical Name: Lagenaria siceraria
Common Name(s): Opo-Squash, Mottled-Bottle Gourd, Cucuzza, Snake Gourd, etc.
Growing Zone: 5-9
Lighting Conditions: Full Sun
Average Height: A vinning plant that produces 6” - 36” long squash/gourds. The plant will spread at least 5’-0”, so give it sufficient space to climb/hang/grow.
Use(s): Culinary
Harvest Season: September - November
Source: Seeds acquired as a gift from Mother-In-Law’s friend

Pollinating the Opo-squash

The Opo-Squash produces both male and female flowers on the same vine, so it is self-pollinating and requires no additional plants to produce gourds on the vine. For maximum food production, you can use a paint brush to transfer pollen from a male flower to a female flower (easily distinguishable since male flowers have skinny stems and female flowers have a bulb at the base of the flower.) Make sure you fertilize with a flower-forcing liquid amendment like Fox Farm’s Ultra Bloom to maximize production.

Saving seeds to pass on genetics of the opo-squash

It’s not too hard to save seeds for the Opo-Squash… just pick the largest gourd on the vine and let it mature. Once it has reached its desired/maximum size, you can cut it off the vine and let it sit somewhere dark and dry. It may take some time for the gourd to dry out depending on your climate/temperatures, however once dry, the gourd becomes hard and you can shake it to see if the seeds are ready to harvest inside. If you hear a rattling sound, it is safe to crack open the gourd and shake the viable seeds out to store somewhere for the following year.

PRO-TIP: I don’t even bother shaking the seeds out to store, I just leave the dried gourd as-is in storage until the following year. The dried gourd acts as the perfect housing to keep my seeds safe for use when I am ready to plant next season.

Look Like You Know What You’re doing In The Garden

I am no expert in growing things and it took a while to get the soil right in my containers to grow these heavy feeders, but once you get it right, they definitely reward you with fruits for your labor! ;)