Watermelon

[KEN W]

Anyone here grow seedless watermelon? I've tried a bunch of times and can't get them to germinate. Regular seeded I have no problem with. I have 5 varieties growing now and have been eating them for a week or so.

[deadeye]

Can't say that I have tried seedless.  So just where do the seeds from seedless watermelons come from. 

[KEN W]

Seedless melons are triploid.....3 sources instead of just 2 for seeded melons.

[KEN W]

My grandsons with a yellow melon from our garden.......weighed 23 lbs.

[LPS]

That is so interesting Ken.  I have never grown a melon before.  Like a huge cuke.  Do you have to water them a lot more than a regular garden?  Beautiful melons.  And yes I have used that line before.   

[glenn57]

Do those taste like a normal red melon??? Never seen that kind either 

[KEN W]

Haven't watered hardly at all this year. In our part of the world you have to start melons inside and transplant them. I also use row covers for the first month or so. Melons are desert plants and love heat. So I use these. They really work well and store easily.

[KEN W]

They are similar. My kids and grand kids love yellow melons.

[Jerkbiat]

I like all kinds of melons! 

[LPS]

 

[glenn57]

I like all kinds of melons! 

dere's dat seks ting again!!!!!!!!

[Dotch]

Beautiful melons Ken! You have a real talent. Not everyone can raise a decent watermelon especially that far north. Varying degrees of success here over the years. Frequently summers have been too wet although when we've had a drier summer they'll do OK. Better success with muskmelons. Hoping recently moving the garden to a south facing slope will help. To our south around Muscatine IA they raise dandy melons. Friend of mine grew up there. Sandy ground and they can irrigate if needed. Haven't had a Muscatine melon in a long time but might be worth a cruise in the Stude someday. 

[Leech~~]

Anyone here grow seedless watermelon? I've tried a bunch of times and can't get them to germinate. Regular seeded I have no problem with. I have 5 varieties growing now and have been eating them for a week or so.

I heard some where people using a soft art brush to try and germinate pollen from one plant to another, if the Bee's aren't getting it done? 

[Jerkbiat]

I like all kinds of melons! 

dere's dat seks ting again!!!!!!!!

I had to beat ya to it. 

[Steve-o]

Anyone here grow seedless watermelon? I've tried a bunch of times and can't get them to germinate. Regular seeded I have no problem with. I have 5 varieties growing now and have been eating them for a week or so.

I heard some where people using a soft art brush to try and germinate pollen from one plant to another, if the Bee's aren't getting it done? 

In China, they use too much pesticide, killed all the bees, and now they NEED to pollinate plants by hand.  Word.

These Photos Capture The Startling Effect Of Shrinking Bee Populations

[LPS]

You got that right! 

[KEN W]

I've tried hand pollination.....worked OK, but really wasn't worth the effort. I haven't had problems with pollination for seedless melons. It's getting them to germinate that is tough. They need perfect conditions, water and heat which commercial companies can provide. Plus the seeds are expensive.....anywhere from $.50 to $1.00 per seed. Usually with 10 seeds per packet.

Seeded melons are much easier. This year I have Yellow Petite, Blacktail Mountain, Lemon Krush, Golden Crown, and Mambo. The last 2 have won Vegetable All America awards. The one in the picture is a Lemon Krush.The hardest part about growing watermelons is being able to tell when they are ripe.

Melons need to be started inside and need early heat during the cool months of May and early June....row covers.

[glenn57]

sounds like alot of work and babysitting there KenW!!!!!!! usually worth the effort. i
'll continue to go to the veggie stand as i dont have enough room for all those vine type plants!!!

i sure enjoy your pictures and posts!!!!!!!

[LPS]

Man Ken that is quite a process!  I like melons but I will continue to buy them.  No way could I keep up with that program.  I honor you for doing it!

[KEN W]

I've got a good sized melon patch....12 ft by 30 ft. Half watermelons and half cantalope,honeydew, and santa claus melons. But I have lots of time. Being retired for 12 years. My early cantalope are finished. They all ranged from 5 to 10 pounds. Grand kids never get tired of eating cantalope. 

Right now I am in the process of transplanting 120 strawberry daughter plants into new beds for next year. I have Honeyoe, Cabot, Ozark Beauty, Fort Laramie, and Seascape.

Red, yellow, and purple raspberries are just starting to ripen.

Family is busy eating Sweet Corn.....Northern Super Sweet, American Dream, Signature, Anthem, and Honey and Pearl. Should have corn to eat till late Sept.

Tomatoes are really slow this year for some reason.....When I was teaching I always wanted to be finished canning tomatoes by the time school started. Haven't even started this year. 

Love August for gardening.....the big 3.....Tomatoes, Sweet Corn, and Melons.   

I am also testing Carrots, orange beets, corn, pumpkins, and peas this year  for NDSU's extension service.

[LPS]

Darn impressive Ken. 

[KEN W]

40 years of learning. Not every thing turns out right. And a passion to get it right.

 

[mike89]

so Ken what does the lemon krush taste like then or do all the melons taste about the same??

[KEN W]

They are a little different. My kids and grand kids love the yellow ones and will eat them over the red ones every time.

One thing about watermelons.....as I said above.....they are REALLY hard to tell when they are ripe.You can't tell by just looking at them. When I see melons the size of golf balls....I take a plastic spoon or knife and put the date on it and stick it in the ground alongside.  Then 35 days later it should be ripe.

You can also look at the tiny tendril opposite where the melon is attached.....when it is brown and dries up, it should be ripe.

When I worked in the produce department of a big grocery store in Fargo.....I would see people knocking them and asking me if it was ripe. I had to tell them the only way to tell is to cut it open. And to take it home. If it wasn't ripe.....to bring it back.