Watermelons

[Collector]

This year I am going with cream of Saskatchewan watermelon

Last season we went with the black tail mountain variety with a little success. This years seeds are supposedly white flesh melons ripening in August.... we will see. All they had was a 1oz packet with 100 or so seeds inside way more than we will use. If anybody wants some of these seeds to try pm your address I will mail you some.

 

[flowerbug]

This year I am going with cream of Saskatchewan watermelonView attachment 34690
Last season we went with the black tail mountain variety with a little success. This years seeds are supposedly white flesh melons ripening in August.... we will see. All they had was a 1oz packet with 100 or so seeds inside way more than we will use. If anybody wants some of these seeds to try pm your address I will mail you some.

thank you for the offer! alas, too much going on here already should be full up, but if they are good save seeds and i may hit you up this fall for some to trade.

 

[seedcorn]

@seedcorn , have you ever tried "Yellow Doll"? Short DTM, 5-6 pound, good production, very thin rind, seldom cracks or has hollow heart - and has a fairly large seedless center. Although I prefer OP varieties, this is one hybrid I would recommend, I've had great results from it.

Oops we cross posted, I see you don't want yellow. "Blacktail Mountain" (OP) is another possibility. Even shorter DTM than Yellow Doll, red, very sweet, 5-6 pounds (larger some years), deep green & nearly spherical (they look like black cannonballs), but a little seedier than Yellow Doll.

This is what I’m leaning towards. Great to read about it from different perspectives.

 

[digitS']

I suspect that a crow could fly from the top of Blacktail Mountain to my garden without breaking a sweat ... do crows sweat? Anyway, with a couple of growing seasons of ridiculous failure, I began to question the naming of that melon.

Seed' have you tried some of the non-water, non-cantaloupe melons? I was never much of a honeydew fan but think back fondly about having Crenshaw melons. Those are very unlikely to mature here but I've found others.

There was a hybrid Charentais that did fine in my garden. They aren't a whole lot different from cantaloupe, but different.

The big find, especially for DW, is a galia melon. I should say, two galia melons: Passport and Diplomat. Honestly, I can't tell the difference between them. Even on a very poor grow season in 2019, one or t'other of them did okay.

They look like a honeydew but don't taste like one. Last year was the first that I saw them in the soopermarket. We bought one to try. If they are around, you should try one.

I'll toss in the idea of Asian melons not because I liked them but, apparently, because others do. I tried several varieties. They are quite unique, from my pedestrian viewpoint. They really grew fine for me but I'd have to wait for others to trial and recommend.

Steve

 

[Collector]

I will agree with @digitS' all my hopes for the black tail mountain were dashed last season. I could have put them in a better spot and had better results maybe, but not this season trying something else. Always another seed to plant and hope for the win.

 

[6884]

I usually plant crimson sweet or sugar babies, the sugar babies did the best i think a few years ago. I can remember given 40 or so away because they were coming off so fast. This year Im going with a super sweet variety called Sangria. Claims say it can get around 25 lbs. when ripe not sure about the seed density. Im also starting my plants in cells this year then transplanting in the garden. I learned last year the crows like fresh watermelon sprouts too. I disked a new spot this year just for melons and can probably get a 50' row in of just these bigguns!

 

[majorcatfish]

miss @thistlebloom sent me some of those seeds a few years back they did very well, a few of them hit the 20lbs mark. still a little too seedy for me, but had a great taste.....

what the heck north carolina is the gardening capital of the world.......

 

[seedcorn]

@digitS' love honeydew melons but could never figure out when to harvest. Not a fan of cantaloupe. Tried a Gala type that bore well, easy to pick and when but tasted like a cross between a honeydew and cantaloupe-See my comments on cantaloupe.
What I would like seems to be mission impossible-5-10# size, sweet, red and not loaded with seeds.

 

[seedcorn]

I will agree with @digitS' all my hopes for the black tail mountain were dashed last season. I could have put them in a better spot and had better results maybe, but not this season trying something else. Always another seed to plant and hope for the win.

So what variety are you going to try and why?

 

[Xerocles]

@digitS'
What I would like seems to be mission impossible-5-10# size, sweet, red and not loaded with seeds.