Watermelon Growing

General Gardening
#362

Look what came in the mail yesterday.

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#363

Good luck on those delicious looking watermelons. Keep us update.

Tony

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#364

I am growing another variety from Baker Creek, Sugar Baby Bush, for smaller spaces. Seeds have sprouted, Iā€™ll let you know how this variety turns out. Good luck Matt!

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#365

If that happens to be Orangeglo, donā€™t be disappointed if you get
very poor germination. I had to throw out that batch that I got from them.

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#366

Looking good. Iā€™m still waiting on my order from them. When did you order yours?

#367

April 23 is when I ordered. They e-mailed an acknowledgement right away. Seeds arrived April 29.

#368

I ordered mine on 22nd. I got shipment notification saying estimated delivery May 2nd. Yours was much faster.

#369

Same happened to me - only 50% but that is enough for me.

#370

With my method of growing watermelons I have had very good harvests over the years. I myself would not even think about growing without black plastic underneath the vines.

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#371

Now those are watermelons!!! Cute boy too!!

#372

I got mine from Fedco last week. It took only a week to deliver.

Just wonder if the poor germination is because of genetic of Orangeglo or the source i.e. Fedco vs Baker Creek, etc.

#373

Agree with Mrs. G.

By the way, what are the fruit behind your son in the first pic? Tomatoes? The plants look big and so healthy.

#374

Yes those are tomatoes, it is getting towards the end of the season and the tomatoes keep coming. All of the above pics are last yearā€™s garden.

#375

I got me more WM Seeds this year than I have space to grow. How long do WM Seeds stay viable and how to keep them in best condition? They seem to be in very good condition until now. I got 9 plants out of 9 seeds.

#376

If youā€™re growing muskmelons / cantaloupe on black plastic, make sure you put a piece of wood or something else under them to get them off the plastic and out of the puddle that will form due to the weight of the melon. Watermelons donā€™t need it because of their hard skin, but cantaloupes will rot if they sit in a puddle.

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#377

I just planted quite a few seeds from 2015 (15!) and expect they will be fine. If you keep them dry they certainly should last until next yearā€¦at least that is my experience.

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#378

@rayrose Hey ray- I know weā€™ve discussed it somewhere- probably even in this thread- but Iā€™ve forgotten and couldnā€™t find it on a search so I just wanted to askā€¦

  1. You had a watermelon very similar to Charleston Gray- I think it was even called something Gray- that you liked better than Charleston. Can you please remind me what it is? Equally important, do you know where I can buy some seeds?

  2. In a similar vain, you had a cantaloupe /muskmelon that was similar to Hales Best- MIGHT have been hales best 45? Can you please remind me what it was and, once again, where I might could buy it?

  3. Can you just remind me, please, of your favorite 2-4 watermelons and cantaloupes? (Besides our beloved Orangeglo). Iā€™ve never grown desert King yellowā€¦wasnā€™t that one of your tops ?

Thanks, Ray.

kevin- your watermelon loving friend! BTW, Iā€™m trying several new varieties this year along with my standards. Iā€™ll keep you posted. Let me know what you are growing this year!

#379

Kevin the charleston grey type that I like the best is called Greystone and it
was hybridized and is sold commercially by Hollar Seeds. You can call them
and ask for a sample pack (50 seeds) Iā€™ve done this a couple of times,but they know me by now and it doesnā€™t work any more, at least for me. I canā€™t buy commercial quantities in order to grow just one variety. But itā€™s a great melon.

The two best cantaloupes that I grow are Super 45 and Sugar Queen, both from Willhiteā€™s. They are very different melons in every aspect, but IMHO, growing anything else is a waste of time.

My other favorite red melon is Big Stripe (Willhites) and the only red that I grow. Itā€™s a crimson sweet type, but far superior than CS.

My other favorite yellow fleshed is Gold Strike, also from Willhiteā€™s. IMHO, the two best yellows are GS and Orangeglo.

I just finished tilling my patches and put out landscape fabric. This afternoon Iā€™ll put out the irrigation system and probably plant next week. Weā€™re supposed to go back down to the 50ā€™s at night the next few days, and thatā€™s not good for germination.

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#380

Ray,

Can the lower temps kill the seeds, or just drastically delay their inevitable growth?

I already planted my seeds. Weā€™re gonna get overnights in the high 30s.

P.S. I love gleaning your watermelon expertise, thanks.

#381

Matt,
With temps that low, the seeds can rot in the ground. You need the soil to
stay consistently around 70.

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