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Rochester, MN

While looking the the Bright's 2008 pictures...came across this long one!

http://www.giantwatermelons.com/html/summer_scenes_4.html

12/28/2008 5:59:13 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

Nice pictures. I wonder if it's worth trying to pursue that seed to get some length into the strains. Hopefully a nice long melon like that will produce long melons.

12/29/2008 9:11:30 AM

Rochester, MN

I did google on him (Jerry Vaughn) and found more pictures and how much it weighed 217+ lbs...51" girth...seems like it should have weighed a lot more?? Bottom Picture:
http://www.watervalleychamber.com/Carnival.html

12/29/2008 11:23:58 AM

Alabama

One thing I did notice looking at all the pictures, was the size of the Bright watermelon patch. I had heard in the past that they grew upwards of 250 plants each year, those photos confirmed it. I saw shade structures as far as the eye could see. Growing on a scale like that how could you not set and keep the world record for so long? Just think of the time it would take, I spend on average an hour a day looking after six plants and have to listen to me wife nag me about that.

12/29/2008 5:30:05 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

They are in the business of growing and selling giant watermelons. Or so I have heard. They sell perfect looking melons to be used as decorations by chefs, etc for weddings and other events. So I don't think it's just one person out there working the patch.

I remember a comment from the ender Bright that his responsibility was rotating the melons so that they don't have a discolored spot on the bottom.

12/30/2008 4:18:36 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

For fun, you should check out the following. It's everyone's fear when moving a giant. They could have had a better tarp.

http://www.southwestarkansas.com/ktev/video/Worlds%20Largest%20Watermelon.wmv

12/30/2008 4:31:49 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

Wow havinga family dynasty revolving around watermellons.
I had heard that the auction they have is awesome to watch.

250 plants wow.

12/30/2008 5:18:24 PM

Lloydminster/AB

So you just go and yank the world record melon from the middle of the field! Great video,I feel better and worse at the same time. Lol

12/31/2008 1:38:26 PM

Alabama

MN Melon Man,

You are right about the business aspect of it, but collectively the members of this forum grow how many plants? and we still have not broken the record, one came close this year @ 267lbs. I was stationed in Arkansas for ten years in the military and had to listen to the brights exploits all of the time on TV and radio. I am ready to take the bragging rights away from Arkansas.

As some have said here I think we can break the 300lbs barrier, however we need a better system of sharing information and mixing of good genetics. I applaud you on your attempts to track this data, what we need are some folks to pour over your data and match the best available seeds. After matching the best genetics and having say 30 growers cross polinate them I think we will be well on our way to smashing the world record.

12/31/2008 10:49:32 PM

sevierville, Tn

1SG,
IMHO, I agree on the genetics. We need to do controled polinations. All this open polinations is not good. We can't get a handle on which line has the best traits cause we don't know which parent produced them. Just look at the differences we get with pumpkins from one parent to another even with the same seed line. Where would the atlantic giant line be if they were all open polinated. Answer= same place watermelons are. The record only increasing by 3% ( 8 lbs ) over a 23 year span !
I know its harder to do controled, but thats what needs to be done IMHO.

1/3/2009 4:25:01 PM

Bethlehem CT

I agree. Breed big, with big, look how much time and thought A.G. pumpkin growers put into their crosses.

1/4/2009 8:11:36 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

My belief is that we need to breed for plant size for a while to generally get the average size of the plant bigger. We need to see larger stumps, and more vigorous primary vines. The larger melons will follow.

I start about twice the number of plants in the spring so that I can select between them looking for the larger more vigorous. I can't prove it works, but it's what I do.

1/5/2009 2:04:37 PM