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Location

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sevierville, Tn

I noticed that large seeds = large cots =large nice looking baby plants. In pumpkins, thats as far as it goes.
The genetics take over after that. Is it the same in melons? Any experience with runts ?

4/27/2010 2:28:57 PM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

Dunno about melons, but I had a pumpkin last year in a halfpint sized seed that by day four post seedcase-spitting, you could not tell it had come from a teensy.

4/27/2010 4:58:06 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

I think there is a natural seed selection that goes on today. I generally only keep the best seeds, and of those, I generally only use the nicest looking of the seeds.

4/28/2010 9:43:27 AM

Nekoosa, Wisconsin

Not sure about seed size but I remember somebody telling me that the shape of the cotyledons was an indicator of the shape of the melons. So, long skinny cots meant long skinny melons and fat cots meant fat melons. I'm sure it's an old wives tale. I haven't grown enough melons to test the theory.

4/28/2010 10:03:25 AM

Lexington,IN

I hope that ain't true Mark, all mine have fat cots! I also wonder if where in the melon the seed came from makes any differance. I marked my 182 seeds but not enough were grown to make a conclusion. I've heard seeds closest to the blossom end are better than those closer to the stem. Maybe that's also an old wives tale...

4/28/2010 9:26:37 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

And I heard that it depends on what direction you were facing when you harvested the seeds that makes the difference.

Reminds me of a time when a friend mentioned that she was pregnant and was wondering what sex the child would be. I pulled up the old wives tale about it depending on what direction you were facing when you conceived, and she said "Towards the test tube". I suppose that answer is no better than "Up".

4/29/2010 1:38:03 PM

Bowdon, GA

I planted one of Marty's seeds from his melon last year. The seed was very small but the cots on the seedling are huge. I ussually just pick the fullest best shaped seeds, but I'm not even sure that makes that much difference. I packaged the best looking seeds from my 194 to sent out, and started my own plant from the best looking seeds, but I started my neighbors some from the left overs and there doesnt seemm to be any difference in the seedlings.

4/30/2010 11:18:59 PM