Between the planting and harvesting of my crop, I WAIT. Everyday, I wander among my "babies" talking to them, as I spy pests that may need taking care of, or, if they need water or fertilizer, or, if the weeds need to be beaten back again. I also tell them how beautiful their fuzzy leaves are, and how excited I am to see what sizes and shapes they will surprise me with at the end of the season. Talk to them you say? Of course! They love it, and it doesn't hurt them to admired from a distance to prevent bruising.
Once your plants take off, and they will, you will not see the ground again till harvest time is over. My plants are a mound of lush, green foliage, climbing over, and intertwining themselves on top of each other. They are gorgeous. To see my "baby gourds", it is a delicate task, but I do it continually. I 'tip toe' through my gourd patch, moving the curling vines and tendrils back - being very careful where I step. Gently as I watch my steps, pushing back the sea of leaves, I look for emerging fruits. When I find some, I upright them on their bottoms, propping them with hay, or boards to level them, so they will grow undeformed and sit nice. I will check back on them periodically, as they have a tendency to tip over and get frisky.
As I am checking out the possibilities of shapes and sizes, I get excited thinking of what each can be used for. After all, they are my art, my livelyhood. Even with all my peeking, harvest time still is like Christmas morning every year. I "OOOO" and "AGH" my way across the field, like a kid in a candy shop! Oh, how I love it -