Is it worth saving the seeds?

[wifezilla]

I got a really tasty melon from the farmers market this morning. The vendor called it a "Dove Melon" and it is a cross between a cantaloupe and a honey dew. Has anyone every tried saving the seeds and growing them from this cross? Any ideas what the outcome might be?

I have limited space otherwise I would just go ahead and experiment.

Thoughts?

 

[boggybranch]

Never heard of it, but if it was really tasty and no one can tell you, for sure.......I'd just about have to give it a try.........somewhere, even if space was limited.

 

[sonjab314]

I'd give it a try. What have you got to lose?

 

[wifezilla]

Well, I have plenty of seeds. Anyone want to try some?

 

[vfem]

Was it really a 'dove' melon or is it what we call a sprite melon here?

http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/commodit/horticul/spritemelon/index.htm

 

[hoodat]

As I understand it the majority of plants will produce one parent or the other and a small percentage will be like the original dove melon. A few might even be superior to the original. By saving the best dove melons you will in time "set" the seed so that it will produce only dove melons but you would have to be carefull not to let them cross pollinate. It's quite an undertaking involving hand pollinating and bagging female blossoms to avoid accidental cross pollination but you could end up with a variety of your own that you can name yourself. Just think of it as creating a variety that could become an heirloom. That's how Radiator Charlie created the Mortgage Lifter tomato.

 

[journey11]

Melons are such a pain in the butt for crossing, but I have fun letting a few grow just to see what comes out. Kinda like an experiment! Most seeds will still germinate after a couple of years, so plant a couple and see what happens, then you'll still have more seed in reserve if you decide the fruit is worth planting again. (Just store them in the fridge to preserve their longevity.)

 

[wifezilla]

It doesn't look like the sprite. The rind is more sherbet color. At first it looks like a cantaloupe but with an orange tint and a smoother rind. I would show you a picture but it disappeared somehow :burp:

 

[digitS']

Park sells the seed for the hybrid.

That "70 days to maturity" sure looks good to me. The description looks even better!

I really like melons .

With a Charentais and a Galia in the garden every year, I suppose it wouldn't hurt me to have 1 or 2 more!

Steve

 

[bills]

As hoodat mentions it's pretty tricky getting second generation melon seeds to produce a superior product, unless you really want to take the time and effort to do so.
Squash is the same way. Even if you have no other squash in your garden, chances are a bee may have visited your neighbors patch..the results can vary widely.

I do save seeds from numerous other veggies, and they grow excellent, spinach, green onions, gui lan, bok choy, beans peas, etc. Cukes, squash, and melons seeds I buy every year.