Bottle gourds are permitted to obtain a maximum maturity on the vine before harvest. Harvest gourds when vines are dry. Fruits that are not fully mature or that have been injured do not store well. The fruits are ready for harvest 60-120 days after sowing depending on the variety. Cut the fruits from the vines carefully, using pruning shears or a sharp knife leaving 3-4 inches of stem attached. Snapping the stems from the vines results in fruits without stem attached, which reduce the storage life. When harvested with a short length of vine, they can be hung from wires below a hot ceiling, where they slowly dry out. Depending on variety and crop management, the crop yield can vary between 10-20 t/ha.