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formerly RGG

This guy has been grafting Carolina Cross tops to Atlantic Giant rootstock. Is it possible for these to grow? Please check out his diary.

4/27/2011 5:53:37 PM

Rapid City, SD

well he is a Dr............lol

4/27/2011 9:46:19 PM

Muddy Waters

Does he hang out with Abbynormal??

4/28/2011 4:49:16 AM

Glosta

Grafting melons to squash and pumpkin has been practiced for years. It is mostly done for disease resistance. But since most melons rely nore on the stump for feeding I figured why not. The approach graft was my first attempt and due to the diameter difference of the stems it seems to have not worked so well. I have one remaining plant struggling to hold on. I will try the insert graft next as this will eliminate the diameter issue. If you check compatibility guides, citrullus lanatus (carolina cross) is graft compatible with (cucurbita maxima). If it is not accomplished for this growing season, it will be done next year. I'll spend this year perfecting the grafting.

4/28/2011 7:42:28 AM

sevierville, Tn

I read about the disease use stuff, very popular in asia.
I wonder how the fruit would be affected if any ? I wonder how the diameter issue will be as the plant grows if the graft is successful, big differences in the stump/main vine size.

Would the fruit be legal at a GPC weighoff ???

4/28/2011 7:55:00 AM

sevierville, Tn

Bry, where is the castle ???

4/28/2011 7:55:33 AM

sevierville, Tn

Ok, heres a thought....say the grafted plant grows a really big melon. If the size is due to the graft, then the seeds from the melon by themselves would still produce normal CC melons. So therefore any good CC melon grafted would produce bigger then normal melons.
Result= only grafted melons could compete with grafted melons, but grafted melons seeds wouldn't be as good grown by normal means.

You see where i'm going ????

4/28/2011 8:04:54 AM

formerly RGG

So are we headed toward plant inspections ?

4/28/2011 8:34:04 AM

Waynesboro, Virginia

OK..Cats out of the bag.I wasn't going to say anything, but since I never got the seeds I won for first blossom in the cantaloupe contest, I figure the contest must be a wash.It doesn't matter anymore so I will tell you that both cantaloupes in my diary are grafted.The 42 James is grafted to Zapollo winter squash and the 55 James is grafted to AG pumpkins.I will do a few more grafts then cocentrate on the rest of the garden.Good luck to all doing grafts.......

4/28/2011 8:39:20 AM

Niagara Falls,NY

so if you graft the watermelon to the giant pumpkin,then graft that to a long gourd,you would have a watermelon about the size of a vw bus!

4/28/2011 8:41:12 AM

Jamul

The patch gremlins must have grafted my current plant to a grape tomato variety. It worked very well.

4/28/2011 9:55:53 AM

formerly RGG

All that seems like a lot of trouble. I wonder if I could just paint a giant pumpkin up to look like a Carolina Cross? Maybe I could get some help from Superman. I know he does a pretty good job of making the white stuff look like watermelons.Please check out Janet's diary if you wonder what I am talking about. :-)

4/28/2011 10:13:42 AM

sevierville, Tn

I'm just wondering where this is heading....we probally wont know till season end if someone gets these grafts to work. It may not make a difference, the root may not be the limit. Then again, we may get 400 lb melons from a graft !

4/28/2011 10:19:08 AM

Jamul

How is the question about whether it creates a different class related to growth hormones? I think it was decided either in Pumpkins, melons or both, that growth hormones were O.K. because it really is more than less an "anything goes" kind of thing?

4/28/2011 10:44:31 AM

formerly RGG

I think I may nee to learn to graft.

4/28/2011 11:42:07 AM

formerly RGG

I believe we wouldn't be able to do anything other than to allow the practice. It would seem a little like an invasion of privacy to have someone come to my patch to "inspect my vines". And the cost and effort to assure true watermelon roots from every competitor I think would be prohibitive. It all seems kind of silly; but in truth I think it is kind of amazing the sport has come to this point.

4/28/2011 11:48:11 AM

Linden, Mi.,

Frankenstein, didn't last long
But I guess we have to try
Why? I just can't see it

4/28/2011 12:46:24 PM

Waynesboro, Virginia

I think it's like my 81 year old father says..."It's progress...like it or not" In China, they plant grafted watermelons to squash roots in fields that are full of Fusarium Wilt, as the squash does not get Fusarium.That's much more economical, rather than treating the fields with expensive deadly chemicals.Annually, the Chinese produce over 500,000 acres of watermelons.For a treat, go to Youtube and watch the Japanese grafting machine.Can do tomato grafts , one every 2 seconds....amazing to me.

4/28/2011 2:08:32 PM

Waynesboro, Virginia

I think it's like my 81 year old father says..."It's progress...like it or not" In China, they plant grafted watermelons to squash roots in fields that are full of Fusarium Wilt, as the squash does not get Fusarium.That's much more economical, rather than treating the fields with expensive deadly chemicals.Annually, the Chinese produce over 500,000 acres of watermelons.For a treat, go to Youtube and watch the Japanese grafting machine.Can do tomato grafts , one every 2 seconds....amazing to me.

4/28/2011 2:08:32 PM

Waynesboro, Virginia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vXXcPlBlfw

4/28/2011 2:13:24 PM

Marshall, MI

I experamented with grafting a few years ago and did one that looked like it took. So iwatched it grow for afew weeks under my grow light. Finally after patting myself on the back a few times i decided to cut it apart and see how it looked inside. It was then i discovered it had not grafted..The pumpkin vine had simply sealed around the melon vine. The melon vine had just grew some new roots that were growing down the center of the pumpkin vine.

4/28/2011 3:07:29 PM

sevierville, Tn

West, i agree with the reason they do the grafting. That vid is pretty amazing.
What method did you use on the lopes ??

4/28/2011 3:46:59 PM

Waynesboro, Virginia

Chris, I've done many different kinds of grafts.Approach grafting seemed to work the best, but I'm still modifying.I have not played around with watermelons yet, but I do know that you cannot attach rootstock just for the sake of attaching root stock.I have experimented with many different kinds of rootstock for cantaloupes.I know watermelons and squash works good.

4/28/2011 4:12:04 PM

Waynesboro, Virginia

The old time classic graft was always tomatoes on top and potatoes on the bottom.We did that as kids here.

4/28/2011 4:17:24 PM

Bethlehem CT

West, Was there a big difference in the sizes of the stems at the graft union. I would think over time the melon would be much smaller in size than the squash. This is in interesting topic. I know that on fruit trees it is the root stock that impart the dwarfing characteristics to the tree. It makes you wonder, could you graft a melon onto a more vigorously rooting cucurbit and see better vine and fruit growth?

4/28/2011 4:35:18 PM

Waynesboro, Virginia

I let the cantaloupe be about 2 weeks older than the rootstock to help with the size issue.With good eyes and hands though, I think it does not matter.You need to find a rootsock that works best for what your attempting.Play around with different types.

4/28/2011 4:54:37 PM

Waynesboro, Virginia

Just posted a few pictures,they should be up later.Growth has been tremendous this past week.The 42 James is growing out of the greenhouse now and really, the 55 James is the more vigorous of the 2.I'v only seen one female bloom so far and that was 2 weeks ago on the 55 James.

4/28/2011 5:51:44 PM

Bowdon, GA

Question if it is just the stump. You still have the same leaf area and vine size. Would it do any good to gather more if you can't process it or transport it? Is there any difference in fruit size when grafting trees? I think I might graft mine to nut grass. They would be indestructable.

4/30/2011 11:20:15 AM

Hamilton Nj

steve,how many plants did it take u to get one to take ive had no luck with my tom. grafts, day three they always die???

but only tryed a few so far pizza

4/30/2011 10:37:36 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Pete, please tell me yer not tryin to graft a tomato to an AG...Please!!! LOL Peace, Wayne

5/1/2011 2:35:41 AM

Waynesboro, Virginia

Pete, try an "approach" graft and keep the plant in a humidity chamber of some kind.

5/1/2011 10:42:47 AM

Pataskala,OH

Lg on Ag rootstock would be even more interesting, if it is possible. lol

5/1/2011 5:12:27 PM

Pataskala,OH

Grafting an LG, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe onto one Ag plant would be really interesting. lol Image all the space you could save.

5/1/2011 5:15:02 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

NP, sorta like apples, pears, & peaches on the same tree? LOL Peace, Wayne

5/4/2011 12:01:00 AM

The North Coast

I would prefer to graft a watermelon onto a different rootstock. Reason being that AG are bred for fruit size and not much else. However, there are quality interspecific, hybrid, rootstocks commercially available with proven advantages of vigor and disease resistance. With my experience, the varieties that commercial farmers use is not on the same branch of the family tree as AG's. If AG curcurbit maxima was a viable rootstock for increased production it would be used for such. A look at 10 different rootstocks and they are mostly, not closely related to AG at all. My personal best melon was grafted and was a enormously vigorous plant. Could help others.

1/27/2012 4:30:58 PM