Q:

How do I tell which direction a gourd is going to grow?

I transplanted a 10 or so gourds seedlings growing around my garden (which somehow survived my compost [mainly because I composted them intact and smashed them with a brick later])  around a teepee that I want them to grow up so my kids can play inside (Idea from  Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots, although it doesn't say anything about transplanting).
I've got a feeling some of them are going to betray me and start growing where I would prefer they not grow, when do you know that they're going to send their first shoots out in the right direction? 
Can you apply the same principle to cukes (a similarly seditious vegetable)? 

A:

Gourds climb using tendrils, so they do not twine around the poles like beans. You cannot tell exactly which direction they will grow, but most plants will head towards the light. Vining plants also sometimes wave their heads in circles as they grow in order to find a support. 
For best climbing results, train the vines that go wandering away back onto the teepee, even if that means turning the whole plant a different direction. Cucumbers will grow the same way, but they aren't as fast and need more water.

