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Nam Tao Yao Gourd Seeds

Scientific name Lagenaria siceraria

About this variety

Nam Tao Yao is an edible bottle gourd grown for tender, green fruits with mild, slightly sweet flesh. Pick the young gourds before their skins harden, then peel and cook them in soups, stir-fries or with other vegetables. The vigorous climbing vines benefit from a sturdy trellis and regular picking, keeping fruit accessible as it develops. This warm-season...

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Alliance of Native Seedkeepers  |  SKU: GD17
$200 USD

At a glance

The facts most gardeners need first

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15 minimum seeds per packet
Germination time

5-13 days at 75-85 F seed-zone soil temperature

  • Germination
    5-13 daysa seed-zone soil temperature of 75-85 F
  • Sun
    Full sun
  • Support and spacing
    Trellis recommended · space 36 in · rows 48 in
  • Growth habit
    Vining or climbing · Annual
  • Planting season
    Late Spring · blooms Summer · Tender
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Triple-tested seed qualityRegular quality and germination checks support every packet.

We regularly test seed quality and germination as lots move through storage and packing. We stand behind the seed we send and want customers to contact us when a packet does not perform as reasonably expected.

1-year seed warrantyCoverage begins on the date of purchase.

When properly stored, planted, and cared for, we guarantee reasonable germination and true-to-type growth for one year from the date of purchase. Conditions outside our control—including extreme weather, pests, unsuitable storage, and gardener error—are excluded. Contact us when something is not right so we can review the situation and work toward a replacement, refund, or another fair resolution.

Non-GMO / BE seed policyWe do not buy or sell genetically engineered or bioengineered seed.

Every seed variety we sell is non-GMO.

USDA’s National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard defines bioengineered foods as containing detectable genetic material modified through in vitro recombinant DNA methods in ways not achievable through conventional breeding or found in nature.

  • Hybrid means parent lines were conventionally crossed; hybrid does not mean GMO.
  • Heirloom and open-pollinated describe how a variety is maintained and reproduced.
  • Organic certification is separate and is shown only when verified for the individual product.

Read how we define heirloom, hybrid, and GMO/BE seed · USDA BE Standard

Packed in Colerain, North CarolinaPrepared in our seed room for gardens across the country.

Seeds are packed and shipped from Colerain, North Carolina. Our packets use forestry-certified paper, and we use recyclable paper mailers where appropriate. AONSK is also a 1% for the Planet partner while continuing to reduce waste in packing and fulfillment.

Garden tools

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Variety field guide

What to expect from Nam Tao Yao Gourd Seeds

Nam Tao Yao is an edible bottle gourd grown for tender, green fruits with mild, slightly sweet flesh.

Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record

Nam Tao Yao is an edible bottle gourd grown for tender, green fruits with mild, slightly sweet flesh. Pick the young gourds before their skins harden, then peel and cook them in soups, stir-fries or with other vegetables. The vigorous climbing vines benefit from a sturdy trellis and regular picking, keeping fruit accessible as it develops. This warm-season hybrid offers a different kitchen harvest from decorative gourds, whose mature shells are grown mainly for crafts.

Pick young and tender for a versatile summer vegetable.

Growing facts

  • Botanical name: Lagenaria siceraria
  • Maturity or display: 65-70 days after transplanting to young edible fruit
  • Mature size: Harvest young fruit at 12-14 in long and about 4 in across; long climbing vines
  • Spacing: 36 in between plants; rows 48 in

About the variety

Edible bottle gourds are a longstanding part of Asian cooking, where young fruits are harvested before the shell hardens. Nam Tao Yao is a modern hybrid of that crop, selected for productive vines and tender fruit rather than for a particular craft shape.

Starting seed

Start 3-4 weeks before setting out after frost. Sow 1/2 in. deep at 75-85 F; sprouts in 5-13 days. Space 36 in.; rows 48 in. Give full sun, water and a strong trellis.

Care through the season

Provide fertile, well-drained soil and water deeply during dry spells. Install supports before vines become large. Mulch to limit weeds and fruit contact with wet soil. Remove protective row covers when flowers open so pollinators can reach them.

Harvest and use

Pick at 12-14 in. while skin is tender; peel and cook. Discard bitter fruit. F1 hybrid: saved seed will vary. Mature, hardened gourds are for crafts, not meals.

Saving seed

This F1 hybrid does not breed true from saved seed. Its offspring can vary in fruit form and other traits; use fresh F1 seed when uniform results are needed.

Common problems

Watch seedlings for cucumber beetles and inspect vines for aphids and leaf diseases. Water at soil level and maintain airflow. Poor fruit set may reflect cool weather or inadequate pollination. Discard any gourds that soften or rot during curing.

Frequently asked questions

When should I harvest?

Pick at 12-14 in. while skin is tender; peel and cook. Discard bitter fruit. F1 hybrid: saved seed will vary. Mature, hardened gourds are for crafts, not meals.

Can I save seed?

This F1 hybrid does not breed true from saved seed. Its offspring can vary in fruit form and other traits; use fresh F1 seed when uniform results are needed.

How much space is needed?

36 in between plants; rows 48 in. Provide fertile, well-drained soil and water deeply during dry spells. Install supports before vines become large. Mulch to limit weeds and fruit contact with wet soil. Remove protective row covers when flowers open so pollinators can reach them.

Garden toolsOpen the garden-fit planner, planting-window questions, or soil calculator only when useful

Uses this product’s recorded growing information. Local weather, soil, and garden conditions may vary.

Garden-fit planning for this variety

Will Nam Tao Yao Gourd Seeds fit your garden?

Check vine space, warmth, pollination, water, support, and harvest use. Start with the essentials, then open only the detail groups that matter to you.

Rules-based · no AI · optional answers

Add an optional ZIP code and planting date for a broad frost-window check.Use local forecasts and measured soil temperature for final planting decisions.
1Essential fitTiming, light, and space
2Temperature and exposureOptional microclimate detail
3Soil, drainage, and waterRoot-zone readiness
4Questions for this vining crop seedCrop-specific decisions
5Seed-starting fit and patienceMatch the propagation work
Soil test, pH, drainage, and amendment calculator Have a laboratory soil report? Enter pH, nutrients, texture, bed size, and site observations here. Open soil tools
Recorded soil typeLoamy
Recorded pH range6.0–6.5
Water needsHigh
LightFull sun

Laboratory report interpreter

Soil readiness for Nam Tao Yao Gourd Seeds

Lagenaria siceraria

Enter only the values your report provides. The result compares them with this crop’s recorded needs and keeps laboratory recommendations authoritative.

Core report valuesStart here
Advanced laboratory valuesOptional method-aware detail

Full growing record

Complete growing and seedkeeping record

Starting and plantingSeed preparation, sowing, germination, transplanting, spacing, and early establishment
Start 3-4 weeks before setting out after frost. Sow 1/2 in. deep at 75-85 F; sprouts in 5-13 days. Space 36 in.; rows 48 in. Give full sun, water and a strong trellis.

Provide fertile, well-drained soil and water deeply during dry spells. Install supports before vines become large. Mulch to limit weeds and fruit contact with wet soil. Remove protective row covers when flowers open so pollinators can reach them.
Season-long growing guideWater, fertility, support, weather response, pollination, containers, and care through maturity
Start 3-4 weeks before setting out after frost. Sow 1/2 in. deep at 75-85 F; sprouts in 5-13 days. Space 36 in.; rows 48 in. Give full sun, water and a strong trellis.
Harvest, storage, and usesRecognizing maturity, harvesting cleanly, handling and storage, kitchen uses, and garden roles

Harvest and storage

Pick at 12-14 in. while skin is tender; peel and cook. Discard bitter fruit. F1 hybrid: saved seed will vary. Mature, hardened gourds are for crafts, not meals.

This F1 hybrid does not breed true from saved seed. Its offspring can vary in fruit form and other traits; use fresh F1 seed when uniform results are needed.

Uses and garden roles

Nam Tao Yao is an edible bottle gourd grown for tender, green fruits with mild, slightly sweet flesh. Pick the young gourds before their skins harden, then peel and cook them in soups, stir-fries or with other vegetables. The vigorous climbing vines benefit from a sturdy trellis and regular picking, keeping fruit accessible as it develops. This warm-season hybrid offers a different kitchen harvest from decorative gourds, whose mature shells are grown mainly for crafts.

Pick at 12-14 in. while skin is tender; peel and cook. Discard bitter fruit. F1 hybrid: saved seed will vary. Mature, hardened gourds are for crafts, not meals.
Seed savingSelection, pollination, isolation, full maturity, cleaning, drying, labeling, and storage
This F1 hybrid does not breed true from saved seed. Its offspring can vary in fruit form and other traits; use fresh F1 seed when uniform results are needed.
Pests, diseases, and troubleshootingPrevention, diagnosis, environmental disorders, common damage, and first-response checks
Watch seedlings for cucumber beetles and inspect vines for aphids and leaf diseases. Water at soil level and maintain airflow. Poor fruit set may reflect cool weather or inadequate pollination. Discard any gourds that soften or rot during curing.
Frequently asked questionsDecision-focused answers that supplement the detailed guides above
When should I harvest?
Pick at 12-14 in. while skin is tender; peel and cook. Discard bitter fruit. F1 hybrid: saved seed will vary. Mature, hardened gourds are for crafts, not meals.

Can I save seed?
This F1 hybrid does not breed true from saved seed. Its offspring can vary in fruit form and other traits; use fresh F1 seed when uniform results are needed.

How much space is needed?
36 in between plants; rows 48 in. Provide fertile, well-drained soil and water deeply during dry spells. Install supports before vines become large. Mulch to limit weeds and fruit contact with wet soil. Remove protective row covers when flowers open so pollinators can reach them.
History and provenanceBotanical identity, cultivar history, regional or cultural context, uncertainty, and source records

Scientific name: Lagenaria siceraria

Edible bottle gourds are a longstanding part of Asian cooking, where young fruits are harvested before the shell hardens. Nam Tao Yao is a modern hybrid of that crop, selected for productive vines and tender fruit rather than for a particular craft shape.

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