We have more melons then we could possibly eat, so the kids sat down at our highway front store with a trailer load and sold 61 watermelons yesterday. They had to run home three times for more melons. They started with thirty…sold out and picked another 20…got low and got some more. They got ten each for the big uns, and let the smaller go for 5.
They are probably the easiest thing to grow that gives the biggest return in fun and enjoyment. These are really tasty melons.
I promise to take pictures next week. I left my phone at home for a lovely day without it.
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Where exactly do you guys sell them? I live in chino valley az. I saw somewhere you live in az and actually grow a lot of the same apples and peaches i do. I would love to hear whats doing well for you as my orchard is pretty young and the heat and drought this year really took its toll. Thanks!
We purchased the old store in Skull Valley. It is right on Iron Springs Rd and there is a lot of traffic on that road.
You are welcome to visit our orchard. We have many carieties of apple coming off now as well as Indian Free peaches.
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Oh wow ok so right across from the old gas station? Id love to come down there this weekend if your available and buy some. We went to oak creek this weekend and got some apples that were wonderful. The traffic not so much.
We are selling melons again this weekend, apples are just free samples as we like putting them up for our own use. On Saturday they will be at the store from 9 am on. I am happy to show you the orchard too!
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Ok great. Probably come down Saturday morning with the fam, get some melons and check out the trees. Thank you so much.
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So all the watermelon seed I ordered is in for next year. Reimer Seed sent me seed packaged for 2020 season with no germ test date. That is what I expected.
Southern Exposure sent August and September 2020 test dates. As did Seedway. Those two have been busy already to process the seeds for next year. Of course probably retest of stored seed.
Germs a low of 81% for Ali Baba to 98% for Crimson Sweet. Most in low 90’s.
Not had dried , but Freeze dried water melon I had free from the store was amazing.
Dried bell pepper is like that candy (those tiny ones)
Do you use a actual dehydrator I used just a toaster oven at 200 for about 8 hours I think
I did some watery stuff like cucumber , and it came out good
(for the smell they were not for eating /contaminated )
I do not know about Watermelon syrup, I looked a little into it ,and the boiling
I read something about other fruits since you have so much you can do a experiment.
I have heard of freeze extracting
you let the water freeze, and pore out the concentrated syrup (repeat with syrup)
I do not have much info , but could be a good experiment (with water melon)
I have had some juice do this but this way over 10 years ago,
and a accident so do not remember much
The only syrups I made lately was Mexican Hawthorn ,and they were great
(sugar needed to be added later or no flavor)
(with a taste of vanilla added to the apple flavor)
I may try these as well with water melon , because Now I am curious
wish I had too many or seeds , but I tried to get around to Gorilla growing in a Prairie field this year, but my friend didn’t drive me
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Can anyone give some solid tips for ripening the sweetest melons possible?
Obviously genetics are a big factor, so would be maintaining disease free leaves for photosynthesis and I imagine having the right soil moisture would be key as well. Can anyone recommend anything beyond what I’ve mentioned?
Has anyone got a solid list of high brix melons? 14 or more?
High brix does not necessarily equal best flavor. That said, low brix watermelons never have excellent flavor.
Ledmon, Yellow Moon & Stars, and Bradford are open pollinated melons that can be superb.
Too much rain makes watermelons bland and watery. They are best when watered abundantly up to about 3 weeks prior to ripening, then let them dry out and only water when absolutely necessary. Avoid giving them too much nitrogen. It causes white spots in the melon. The best watermelon soil is fertile sandy loam. Most of us don’t have fertile sandy loam so we have to amend the soil to get as close as possible. Watermelons don’t deal with cold weather at all. Plant them only when the temperature is in the 70’s or higher daily. This usually means I have to plant in early May. Further north will be later. Watermelon varieties have different maturity mostly based on the size of the watermelon. If you are in a marginal climate, plant early maturing varieties.
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Made some watermelon syrup today.
Boiled juice down until thick , like maple syrup consistency.
NOT real thrilled with the flavor.
Edible.
Just not the flavor profile I was hoping for.
Likely won’t make more.
But I did fit at least a very large melon in a pint jar
May taste better come January ?
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Anyone grown Calhoun Sweet or Red-n-Sweet watermelons? Both bred at Louisiana State University and disappeared after a time. Saw a newspaper article about them being grown again this year and hopefully seeds available soon. Two high brix but thin rind melons that didn’t make it in the shipping market.
Terrible year for melons in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Spring cold messed everything up. Critters didn’t help either. I’d rather not dwell on the definite failures right now.
Today I picked one Aspire French Charentais canteloupe and one (29-pound) Georgia Rattlesnake watermelon (which I believe is a volunteer from last year’s rouge seed… tendril finally turned brown). Aspire has a shallow hole in it, probably from a slug, bug, squirrel, or groundhog. I put them both in the fridge tonight. I will cool them down before cutting open.
We shall see if they are worth eating in the coming days…
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I felt like it was, overall, a good year for melons here… but it’s been over 30 years since I planted anything more than a couple of tomatoes and a few peppers.
We had timely rains all spring/summer.
Crimson Sweet were great, Bush Sugar Babies were terrible, GA RattlesnakeXCrimson Sweet seed that Matt sent produced perhaps the tastiest melons we had this year.
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Lucky!
I am so happy to hear you got melons from my seeds!
That just made my day! I love that!
-Matt
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hey everybody, i gave out some orangeglo x white wonder seeds a few years ago, if any of you have some seeds to spare, even if they are f2s send @DeepBlueDustin a message
good to see soo many healthy melons, will be nice to get back to growing one day, be well friends
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I planted Blacktail Mountain July 15 in southeast Virginia. Lots of melons of various sizes and still setting fruit as of Oct 10th. Vines are heavily branched and extend now 20 feet from its hill. Wasn’t expecting that much vine from minimal fertilization.
Harvested the first one Oct 8th. Tendril completely dead finally. 16.8 pounds. Cut it open and it was crisp and sweet with 10.2 Brix. However it has black seeds, not the tan with black protrusions I expected. Also the melon besides being bigger than type also doesn’t look true either. Got another still on vine at 15.6 pounds. So I expect it is some cross. I have other hills
with shorter vines and much smaller fruit that should be ready in a few days. So I will see what they look like when I open them up.
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My experience with Blacktail Mountain watermelons were that they have a round shape and were not big at all.
I ate the Aspire French Charentais cantaloupe last Thursday, Oct. 15. I cut out the bad spot, and the rest was sound. I never did contract Listeria, so I guess we’re good.
It was juicy, luscious, and had the perfect gummy buttery pear-like texture you would expect from a charentais. The flavor was mild but a bit musky, which is fine. However, it was only mildly sweet; I wish it was sweeter.
It ripened late in the season (like everything else cuz this was a terrible growing year due to severe cold we suffered all the way thru last May, which killed or set everything back). I think this is worth trying again. It is supposed to be early ripening in a good year, so I will try it again by sinking more seeds next May.
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