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Beach Park, IL.

Do these get filed just like giant pumpkins??? Do they also get started around the same time as giant pumpkins??

Thanks.

3/6/2007 7:25:49 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

File just like the pumpkin seeds & start @ April 10th. That's what we do, but our biggest has only been 207.6#. Some start earlier, but that's the date that works well for us here in Southern Ontario. We usually have snow well into April though. I hope this helps.

Phil

3/7/2007 6:49:19 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

I hate to go up against Phil H, since he has grown some monsters, but I started my seeds last night.

I do this by my typical technique of wrapping the seeds in paper towels, writing on the outside of the paper towel with the information about the seed, and then spraying the towel with water until nicely damp.

I then put these in a zip lock bag, and put in the warmest spot in the house, which is right on top Cuddles' cage. She is a 9 foot boa constrictor, and with her heat light, and heat pad, it is nicely warm. (85 degrees).

3/7/2007 11:06:14 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

I would also add, that my goal to consistently raise 200+ pounders is to have plants with 2' to 4' vines by the time I am putting them in the garden on in the 3rd week in May.

This is Minnesota, and providing that the weather stabalizes that is my best time to put them in.

I do this so that I am pollinating melons between June 20th and July 1st. Melons pollinated after July 1st generally do not exceed 170 pounds. All of my 200+ pounders have pollinated in late June.

Yes, you can get leggy plants starting them so early, and that is why I start them in very large pots (9" diameter, 12" high). This is also why I start extra plants, since then if I have some that look particularly leggy, I will just select away from them.

I hope this helps. I generally do not keep secrets on how I grow, and would like to see everyone growing 200 pounders.

This year, I am bumping my plants up to 10 from normally 6, and I have hopes of growing a 240+ melon. It not a huge leap from my best of 225, but this is Minnesota, and I have lots of things working against it.

3/7/2007 11:24:51 AM

Long Island,New York

How long does a melon grow? I mean if your pollinating june 25 do they continue to grow til October?

3/7/2007 2:18:25 PM

Minnesota

And, How much Everclear do you need to get one of them ready for a Picnic?
Just Kidding, How many Square feet does a biggun take up in the garden?

3/7/2007 4:05:57 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

Watermelons are an extremely long season plant, and only once have I had a melon that started to over ripe by the first weekend in October.

In fact, one the biggest problems with the giants is getting them to ripen at all, and when they are ripe, have they really converted as much rind as possible.

As for space, that's always an issue, but the more you give them, the happier they are. Mine have grown as long at 38 feet, but 20 x 30 per plant is probably pretty good.

As for the Everclear, I wish I had a dollar for every time I have been asked that. Someday, I am going to take a melon and pump it full of water so that I have an answer to that question.

3/7/2007 4:20:21 PM

Beach Park, IL.

Do you hand pollinate them the same as pumpkins as well?? I remember trying to hand pollinate sugar baby watermelons, and had a hard time with those. The ants always got to the pollen before I did.

3/8/2007 12:26:20 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Hey Glenn

I find that the watermelons will continue to grow up until the last week before the weigh off. By then the weather here has usually turned for the worst & all growth has stopped. We found that for them to ripen we needed to cut them from the vine & let them sit for 2-3 weeks. By then they are a rose color, with little taste, expecially the big ones. Watermelons @ 80# don't taste too bad though.

Our patch isn't too big. We grew 4 plants last year in a 25' x 25' area. The biggest was 194 & the smallest was 128#. I'll give them a little extra room this year, as I'm cutting back to 3 plants in that same space. I might even try an earlier plant like James to see if that helps much. Good luck.

Phil

3/8/2007 6:39:16 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

Phil, I really suggest you start your plants early. I had the same problems you describe, and now, the melons are ripe at the time I pick them. Not rose, but a better watermelon red. My kids think a ripe Carolina Cross is better than a store bought melon.

As for pollinating, yes, it's a pain, but its still something you have to do. Pumpkin growers are so lucky with the amount of pollen they have to work with.

3/8/2007 9:29:28 AM

western PA

hey Minnesota Melon Man, what was the cross of you 225

3/8/2007 10:08:09 AM

Long Island,New York

Thanks Phil....James. My daughter will be growing two plants this year to hopefully improve on her 77.5 from last year. Thanks again

3/8/2007 11:40:36 AM

Netherlands

Would I need to grow them in a greenhouse here in the Netherlands with average summer temps of 70°F and 6 inches of rain per month?

Brad

3/8/2007 3:33:10 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

Vader, I have been working within my own genetic line for about 5 years now, without bringing any other genetics. I base the genetics on seeds from two of Bob Dwyer's melons, one being 215, and the other 228 (I think).

I have been selecting for plant growth mostly. The nicer the plant the better, that is why you will see me reference my 157 WHITE, since it was pretty spectacular.

So the 225 was a cross from my 157 WHITE pollinated with 211 WHITE. The 157 WHITE came from a melon named DEER BITE (you figure out how it got it's name), and pollinated by 187 WHITE.

3/8/2007 3:53:12 PM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

Thanks James. I'm going to start one next week & see how that works out for me.

You mentioned your 157 was came from a melon named Deer Bite. Could you let me know a little bit about it? Thanks.

Phil

3/12/2007 6:42:17 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

Sure Phil,

This was pre-"big fence" time and I had two just about exact melons on two different plants. One day a serious pumpkin grower was visiting and I proudly gave him the "tour-de-patch" . To my shame he pointed out that one of my melons had the backend seriously munched on by a deer.

It was of course a loss, but I did everything I could to keep the melon alive long enough to harvest some viable seeds from it. The other melon grew to 187 pounds.

3/12/2007 10:28:48 AM

Cameron,ontario Team Lunatic

LOL. Great story, thanks James. All the best this year.

Phil

3/13/2007 6:37:15 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

Well, I started my seeds as I mentioned, wrapped in swaddling clothes, wait, that's a different story. I started my seeds wrapped in wet paper towel, and when they germinated, I then transferred some of them into 3" (30 per tray) pots for initial sprouting.

As of this morning they are breaking surface. I have 25 starter plants, which I will select down to 15, and will put in and will transfer and 10 will go in the garden. I always keep a spare plant around for a while until I know I am safe in the garden.

3/13/2007 10:25:09 AM