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Indianapolis,Indiana

I am starting seed tests and dont know what is the ways to grow and start watermelon. Last year i tried the ziplock baggy deal and it didnt work. Can you freeze and file them and soak in water. Please post it will be greatly appreciated!

3/9/2006 5:01:52 PM

what you need is a temperature of min 85 degrees to start watermelon seeds. what need is 4 inch pots, seed starting flat with clear dome cover and seed starting heat mat.

Where ever you got the method you described above it does not matter is not appropriate method for watermelons.
Try doing research before trying ad hoc methods that people give you.

3/10/2006 8:52:17 AM

ENGLAND

Josh
Take a look at this article on our Club Website....
http://www.gvgo.ca/articles/article_huntjane01.html

Enjoy the read
Regards
Mike

3/10/2006 12:20:26 PM

Butler, Ohio

TAke it easy Matfox, he's just a new guy asking a question. Have you ever actually GROWN a watermelon?? Josh. I started mine just like my pumpkin seeds:
1. Lightly file around edges with emery board or a small chainsaw file works good for me, but remember...lightly.

2. Wrap em in wet paper towels soaked in a liquid kelp meal mixture.

3. Put them on a small plate, cover them with plastic wrap and put in a somewhat woarm dry place where nobody will bother them overnight.

4. Put the seeds in 4" peat pots with lightly moist soil, put the pots in a cooler and fill a couple 2 liter bottles with hot water. Use a digital termometer with a probe to monitor the temps inside the cooler. You will have to warm up the water when the temp drops lower than 79-80. I have played with this method all winter and fine tuned it to my liking and I have seeds emerging within 3 days max.
Good luck!!
Mike and Amanda COnrad

3/11/2006 10:00:51 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Mat's right about the 85°F temperature. This is the ideal temperature to start a lot of seeds & also the point we use whenever we're not sure. Just like AG seeds, a little drier is better than wetter.

3/11/2006 2:34:11 PM

midnight the correct way to start melon seeds can be found in the how grow giant watermelon book.

3/11/2006 10:40:49 PM

Butler, Ohio

Matfox...looks like this way worked for me just fine...so I guess it's correct. I have been expereminting with it all winter, fine tunig it. There's more than 1 way of doing things. WHat have you been doing?? Are you even gonna grow anything this year??

3/12/2006 11:11:38 AM

midnight i had the same luck last several years that gerry checkon had last year, with my melons and pumpkin and if you look at one of my gallerys you will see a picture of my 125 sitting on car seat. Midnight i have 6 types giants set to grow this year as long i don't have extreme weather or extreme pest problems i will be fine this year.

mightnight just because a way works does mean it is wise to use it.

3/12/2006 4:59:32 PM

Butler, Ohio

Hey, to each his own, matfox, maybe if you looked up the word "courtesey" in the dictionary and applied the meaning to your responses, more people would take you seriously. As far as I'm concerned this discussion is done!!!

Good luck this year with all your types of melons matfox!!

3/14/2006 7:23:29 PM

midnight and may if newbies would use search instead asking the same questions 4 times a month.


The baggy method is good way to get seeds to rot. the best method to start seeds is in plastic pot on plant flat on heat mat.

3/14/2006 11:34:51 PM

Salmon Arm, BC

Hi Josh...i filed, did the baggie thing, after 12 hrs put in peat pots and on an old waterbed heater @ 30 under a platic dome. Had germination in 3 days. Deb

3/17/2006 3:18:27 AM