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Heirloom Plants & Gardens

Open pollinated melons and watermelons

14 years ago

For those of you not trying to keep your melons apart, do you save seeds or get new ones every year?

This year I'm growing Blacktail Mountain, and Orangeglow watermelons, + have one Moon & Stars that was a volunteer from last year's watermelons. I'm also growing Charentais, Sakata Sweet and a Christmas melon that I can't remember the name of at the moment and I'm not sure whether those can cross with each other at all. Anyone know?

Have you been happy with seeds you saved or are you usually disappointed?

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Comments (6)

tammysf
14 years ago
Good question. I'd also like to know. I've saved some seeds from charentais, crane, and sharlyn so I would love to know if they are worth planting next year.

I got these melons from farmers market.

Just picked my first ripe melon today :)

Here is a link that might be useful: blog with melon pics
neohippie
14 years ago
Watermelons should all be able to cross with one another and muskmelons cross with each other (but watermelons won't cross with muskmelons).

I've never tried saving seed from melons when I've grown more than one variety, but as I understand it you'll be very likely to get cross breeds if you do. The bees can't tell the difference.

The farmers market melons are probably crossed too, assuming the farmer was just trying to get a good melon crop and wasn't worried about isolating varieties to save pure seed.

Now, whether that means they're not worth planting depends on how you feel about growing melon mutts next year. They could be good, or they could be a great big waste of space. You really can't tell.
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Whenever you fertilize, don't fertilize with nitrogen near the end of your harvest (it seems to be able to take taste out of the fruit). Using monopotassium phosphate near the end doesn't seem to hurt the flavor, however, and the phosphorus may even encourage faster ripening. It seems to me that nitrogen should primarily be used earlier on, if at all (before the fruit gets very big). Phosphorus and potassium can probably be used any time without significant repercussions to the plants (although maybe to the water supply), so long as you don't use too much. You might try forgoing the fertilizer (or using it very sparingly) and saving your seeds every year to replant the next. According to what I've read, they should become better-adapted to your climate and soil, and get used to having less fertilizer. That's not to say they won't need nutrients, but they in theory should be better at utilizing what is available. You might also consider creating landraces. If you move around a lot, though, this might not be the best option.
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Been there, discovered that. This year I tried to grow Minnesota Midget in my greenhouse just for fun, thinking that I would at least get something in case our summer was once again one long foggy day like last year. I tried using a small paint brush to pollinate but as described, it didn't seem like there was anything to transfer. Finally, I removed a male flower and carefully peeled off the petals and the green (sepals?) around the yellow center. Holding this by the short stem I pushed it into a female flower and moved it around a little (the things gardeners will do....). Voila! I got many "takes" and when my outdoor cantaloupes under row cover began to set blossoms but it was still cool I decided to do some hand pollinating there also. It worked! So, I don't know how the bees do it, but that's how I do it.
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melons (all kinds) need warm long season. If the season is short and cold fruits may not get big and ripen. The starter said that he did not get any melons. One reply was "did they ever flower?". Good question. If they don't flower there would be zero chane but if they did, there could be some chance butnot automatic. Melons family plants has two different flowers, male and female. The female has to get male's pollin in order to grow fruit. The insects, mostly bees do the job of polinating. There are other flying and non-flying insects which also become a pollinators. The chaces are you might not get any of those. In such cases you will not get any fruit, UNLESS YOU DO IT YOURSELF. Ther are other reasons fo melons not to fruit: (1) too much nitrogen, (2) Too much shade not enough sun. You can do a few things to improve the chances: Feed them fertilizers rich in phosphorus, poor in nitrogen, after they begin growing vine. Pinch the main, when it is about 4 ft long, to encourage latteral vines growth. Most female flower will appear on the latteral branches. Also, plant them in a location that they will get a minimum of 5 hours direct sun.
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Hi, I am looking for a Uzbek melon for a long time. Can I purchase small number of seeds from you? Regards, Ron Warshawsky
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yumamelon
14 years ago
Hello,
There is no way of telling if the melons from the farmer's market are pure or not. If you ask the grower how he keeps his varieties seperate there is a good chance if his plot is large enough that they will come true from seed.

Melons come in two types of flowers. Monoecious and andromonoecious (hermaphroditic). If they are andromonecious you usually get selfs, because the flowers "female" flowers also have male parts. Watermelon are more true monoecious. However every once in a while a variety is andromonecious.

Jonny
fusion_power
14 years ago
You can presume that if you grow watermelons near each other they will cross. This is not necessarily bad. One of the best watermelons I ever ate was from a bee made cross between Congo and Jubilee.

I have grown Sakata Sweet and a standard Cantaloupe side by side and did not get crosses. No guarantees though. Just my experience.

DarJones
rgm1977
14 years ago
Watermelons will cross if more than one kind are grown togather.You could hand pollenate them which is very easy.
christie_sw_mo
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for your replies.
Piel De Sapo was the one I couldn't think of.
I may be getting ahead of myself. I've been seeing a groundhog around my yard and my neighbor said he saw a racoon this week and has been losing his tomatoes. I may not have any seeds to save. : (

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