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Ohio

Did i miss something? Did the watermelon in Italy get disqualfied? Just wondering.

11/15/2012 5:03:40 AM

Muddy Waters

The GPC recognized it.The GWG did not.

11/15/2012 8:07:35 AM

formerly RGG

It seems like the GWG will have to have a official representative at every GPC weigh-off to do melon vine inspection. I wonder who their representative will be in Italy ? New Zealand, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Alaska ? I am not sure if there are melon weigh-offs in all these places but as the ranks of the GWG continue to swell, I expect there will be melon weigh-offs in more and more countries. I am sure they will make a great decision about this as they have always done in the past. :o)

11/15/2012 8:22:49 AM

Indiana

Just out of curiosity what's the purpose of the vine inspection? My dad has been growing pumpkins for awhile now to my knowledge he hasn't had to deal with that.

11/15/2012 8:37:07 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

The big deal has to do with grafting. If you graft a mediocre watermelon genetic onto a squash vine, it takes off like mad. But you have to ask yourself if you are doing anything to improve the genetics of the watermelon? If you wanted to recreate the success, do you have to improve the squash genetic, or the watermelon genetic.

Yes, I think people will get larger watermelons out of it, but I don't think they should go in the record books. Of course I didn't think that Mark McGwire should be in the books either whether or not they add an asterisk to his name.

11/15/2012 9:14:53 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

And did I miss something or when did the GWG have any say or power in determining or awarding records?

Is the GWG not just a growers club? Not to stir the pot here, but individual clubs have little to no credibility when it comes to recognizing a world record or event.

11/15/2012 9:35:06 AM

Manchester, TN

Guinness doesn't recognize it either.

11/15/2012 10:11:54 AM

Piqua, Ohio

the GWG pays it's members prize money top 20, if you want prize money they have a grafted and non grafted prize structure you have to prove which method you used. I don't want to start a pissing match but grafting mediocre seeds to squash don't make the melon bigger, it's for disease resistance and the plant takes extreme heat and cold better, also makes firmer fruit,in the end a healthier plant may produce a bigger melon, but I don't think you can beat genetics. My grafted melon quit growing in 21 days and weighed around 80 lbs. I found out for me grafting is not what I want to do, so to each his own!

11/15/2012 12:45:06 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Grafting or not grafting the Bartoli's watermellon is the biggest ever grew in the word..., and if Bartoli got this result, is also because his seed (245) have a great genetic in it, I'm agree that the grafting help it, but if
the mellon don't want to be big, I think the grafting sistem is useless
I would like to explane better but my english don't permit me this!

11/15/2012 12:50:22 PM

Western NY

your english is fine, sergio - and I agree.

There is no evidence in our little world that the WR was grown because of grafting. It probably helped, but by how much? My guess is that he still would have beaten 291 without the graft.

11/15/2012 1:04:31 PM

Hampstead, NC 28443

I think we are in the pioneering stages of what will happen with grafting. I am not going to miss out on what could be the next great thing. Like many people, I am going to be careful about putting all my eggs in one basket. If by practicing all winter I perfect the grafting process, I will grow grafted plants. I will still grow traditional as well.

11/15/2012 1:35:39 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

the 245 Bartoli seed was a Carolina croos x crimson sweet, this one is the speciment that Bartoli grow for his job I know all around the carolina plants were a lot of yard of crimson, and I'm pretty sure it is this also because the size of fruit that comeout of 245 are not so long, but a lot wide and tall, so why all say" grafting is the cause of Bartoli result" and no one think that maybe the cause of his result is this cross??
may be because no one told this before.....

11/15/2012 2:00:50 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

here is a video in how to do the grafting mellon on the gourd
sorry it is in Italian language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiBx_hp8rSY

11/15/2012 2:33:50 PM

President - GPC

I guess I dont know how a grower is going to bring in their entire plant for proof. Dont they kind of inter twine with the watermelon plant next to it? I dunno, Ill be lucky just to bring the fruit.

11/15/2012 2:57:15 PM

Mass

Wizzy, if you dont care about the GWG Money (top 20) and dont belong, it doesnt matter, The GPC doesnt require it. the GWG did send out a nice photo detail of a melon, main vine, stump, all harvested and tied up, looked pretty simple.

11/15/2012 3:52:17 PM

Muddy Waters

Well! The GWG said there were following the GPC guidelines originally.Now they have changed there mind & are not following GPC guidelines.Hang on to your membership fees.I will have new money in place by spring.My prize money will take your melon per GPC guidelines.

11/15/2012 8:18:54 PM

Ohio

ok, sorry i started battle royal. but i really dont know how much the graft has to do with the size at the end. yes ,it may help a little. but from what i have read, the commerical growers have used grafted plants for years now. why? what i got from it is, they do it to battle diease, not really size of the fruit.

I will put my 2 cents in though. i started growing pumpkins around 1987. Why did i start? because it was cool and lots of fun. always took it to the pumpkin show. there really wasnt many weigh offs or clubs around. so over the years i have watched the "hobby" grow. more growers came, the weights increased and bam. the next thing you know there 100s of weighoffs and clubs. then the prize money got bigger. i dont grow for the money, just like my race car, i did it because i loved it and enjoyed the people. i took 4 melons to weigh offs. 2 of which paid prize money. the other 2 i just wanted to go and have fun an meet new people. i only placed in one to win any money.

so please take a step back, ask yourself, why did i start growing. i bet you will find that you wanted to grow a big one an have fun. not for the money or fame.do i think there are to many clubs? yes. do i think the prize money is out of hand? yes. lets all just go back to the reason we started growing. fun, meet new people and to grow a big one.

11/16/2012 4:25:36 AM

Muddy Waters

It's too late.we cant go back.Just like the world we cant go back.Have you seen the history channel lately?the series on the men who built America.It was ugly.Man is ugly in is strive to move forward.

11/16/2012 5:22:56 AM

Muddy Waters

moro (sergio) I will grow the 245 this year both grafted & traditional.I need to get more seeds from you to do grafting.

11/16/2012 5:43:44 AM

Cologne Brescia Italy

I have to say a last thing about Bartoli WR ,
Bartoli don't want any money, he was not a GWG
Member in 2012, so this is not a problem of prize
He just ask that his record must be recognized
Like GPC did
I'm also an AG grower since 1997, i don' grow
For money also, i like to see what and where i can to
Arrive with them,
Grow for money is to much expensive in energie
And low prize, if i want money ( and i think many people are think ing same me) i can stay at work for the time i put in the patch
And at the end of the end of the year to have many more
Money that pumpkins prize.
I think a trophy is ok, if after you can have some money
also , ok sound good, but just for to cover the money
You spent in the patch!!

11/16/2012 7:03:43 AM

Bethlehem CT

Grafting melons is definitely not a silver bullet. (yet) There were many growers who tried it here in America. Ask them, what they thought of grafting. The only grafted plant that even made the top 20 in weights was Dennis Masterson's 228. (I believe)
I think grafting has potential, and obviously will be tried again. Bartoli's accomplishment is impressive graft or not.
Was it the graft that caused Bartoli's melon to break the record? Maybe, but many of us tried it here in the Us and none even came close to Bartoli's record. None of us have tried growing his 245 seed. The 245 was a 'Carolina Cross' x 'Crimson Sweet.' That is a very interesting cross, it may have made the difference for Bart. We could be arguing about the wrong thing.

11/16/2012 7:13:56 AM

Garner, NC

Hey moro (sergio) .. will you please email me. Thanks Todd
iceoccasions@bellsouth.net

11/16/2012 7:32:59 AM

The North Coast

Wow...My hats off to Bartoli. By necessity or stroke of genius his cross with a crimson sweet has got to be one of the best new seeds out there...graft or not. If the genetics hold up we all could be growing giant Bartoli watermelons in the future.

11/16/2012 9:12:19 AM

Is there a place to get crimson sweet seeds in the U.S. or do they just come from Italy?

11/16/2012 10:30:39 AM

Cologne Brescia Italy

I think if you googled crimson sweet seeds or
In ebay will be easy to find this seeds
The name sound like a usa or english , so
I think you can find some in USA or Canada
maybe

11/16/2012 10:38:25 AM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Todd i will e mail you later

11/16/2012 10:39:18 AM

Carrollton, Ga.

Moro do you know if Mr. Bartoli hand polinated his watermelons that the record melons were grown from?
Doug
JN.3:16

11/16/2012 12:43:01 PM

President - GPC

MORO,

PLease email The WIZ @

GarytheWizard@gmail.com

11/16/2012 12:47:40 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

no it is a carolina cross x open, but like I told in my post above all aruond were a lot of field of crimson sweet
so it can only to be carolina cross for crimson sweet,I know Bartoli this year got 4 fruit in different plants ( but all out of his 245 seed)that were all same shape

11/16/2012 12:57:13 PM

Carrollton, Ga.

thanks for the reply moro. do you think a small melon like the crimson could be in that record melon?

11/16/2012 1:33:56 PM

Rapid City, SD

11/16/2012 7:58:05 PM

Bowdon, GA

If it was a cross between the two I would think you would see some variation between the 4 melons in the second generation. You would get all kinds of crazy variations from the 326 seed. I have seen it in Hoosier/CC crosses. Second generation you get some that look like hossiers some like CC's, third gen you get melons with various colors and stripe patterns.

11/17/2012 12:51:07 AM

formerly RGG

Jake, do you think there is any potential for a giant melon from the CC X Mountain Hoosier cross ?

11/17/2012 7:28:38 AM

Piqua, Ohio

if Bartoli had other melons varirties growing that don't mean it's crossed with them, being open it may be crossed but if he didn't hand pollinate with a crimson sweet I wouldn't worry it's probably self pollinated by the bees.. Just my 2 cents

11/17/2012 9:32:24 AM

Was able to locate crimson sweet seeds on ebay. Would prefer to plant from the 326 Bartoli.

11/17/2012 10:24:33 AM

formerly RGG

Personally I don't care where the pollen came from. I am just happy to get 3 seeds from the melon that grew the 326. I will self at least some of the melons to try to get a more pure genetic strain.

11/17/2012 2:19:42 PM

Bowdon, GA

I doubt that it was crossed with crimsons, Like Josh says if it is not controlled you don't know who the daddy is. Dennis I think you could isolate the green color and get very large dark rind melons. But, from what I've seen I don't think they would ever surpass a carolina.

11/18/2012 12:41:51 AM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

This is exactly why I will not be growing watermelons next year. The fun is gone with all of this grating no grafting chatter.Clubs fighting with each other and all of the stuff that sets a poor example for the young growers on how people are suppose to get along. The world has many larger problems than these but people seem to spend alot of time and effort on things that in the end really don't mean much in the real world. Rules were made because people always push boundaries, in the end people just find other ways around it - its human nature and always will be but it will drive people away from the sport/hobby which is a real shame - It's just suppose to be FUN!!!!!!!!!!

11/18/2012 7:16:34 AM

formerly RGG

I refuse to let this take the fun out of growing for me LilPatch. I agree it is a shame the way this has gone. I think grafting is nothing to be terribly concerned about. It was devised to overcome soil disease problems and is said to only mildly increase fruit size. I am quite sure that the Bartoli melons have the genetics to grow world records whether grafted or not. And now the poor GWG members have to pay two separate fees if they want to grow regular and grafted and take the chance of only qualifying for grafted if the stump of their plant rots. I think they have headed their club in a poor direction. I wish them the best; but I believe a new and more progressive club will come along and prove itself more successful.

11/18/2012 8:51:56 AM

Piqua, Ohio

after 7 years of growing giants I joined some clubs this year, I personally didn't learn anything I didn't already know, so to sum it up, I doubt I will renew any memberships. I agree with LiLpatch all this bickering really makes it hard to have fun growing.

11/18/2012 10:01:58 AM

Lexington, Ky

I think alot of folks joined this club for the money. I agree with Josh....what has or will this club do publically to push the learning curver?

11/18/2012 8:30:22 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

I have been growing giant veggies, mostly unsuccessfully, for about 15 years now and still having fun. Joining a club can have benefits but the fun is up to you. Join or don't join, grow for the reasons that got you started in the first place.

11/18/2012 9:17:56 PM

formerly RGG

The GWG is going private. I anticipate little if anything from them in the way of helping John Q Public learn to grow bigger melons. They will simply encourage membership in their club. And perhaps that is the way it should be.

11/18/2012 9:33:09 PM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

My comments were not directed at the GWG at all just for clarification - they were directed at the whole hobby in general.

We try to teach our kids that bickering and "name calling" per say is not a good thing but as adults we ourselves have a hard time abiding by those same rules.

I wish all the people who put their volunteer time forth to run any club good luck as its awful easy for alot of people to criticise what is done.

11/19/2012 5:51:55 AM

formerly RGG

I think criticism is fine if done respectfully and with good intentions. On the other hand meanness and name calling certainly isn't acceptable behavior, in my opinion.

11/19/2012 7:25:02 AM

Piqua, Ohio

I wasn't talking about the GWG specifically, it just seems to me that once you join a club the lips get tight!!! I've learned more from asking questions on here !!!

11/19/2012 8:39:19 AM

Canton Ohio

Gentlemen, I cannot tell you how annoyed I am with the executive from the GWC. It is underhanded and unfair that they change the rules only after a new world record is achieved. We all know which GWC executive is behind this. He has been whining about grafting for years. He should try growing pumpkins like real men and drop the vendetta against anyone who is progressive. I won't be paying any dues to the GWC this year. Just can't stomach this crap.

11/19/2012 5:54:57 PM

formerly RGG

I thought the GWG was a great club until they came up with new rules concerning grafting. I think their new rules will be very discouraging to future membership. Members will have to pay double if they want to grow both ways and I doubt if the prize money for a grafted melon will be significant.

11/19/2012 6:46:45 PM

The North Coast

It does strike me as odd that the GWG did decide to split the pursuit of giants into two categories. Traditional and grafting divisions.

Being an optimistic person, I would of never guessed that this would of opened such the can of worms. I thought grafting would be as exciting for every one of you like it is for me. I love the challenge of trying to overcome limiting factors of growth and grafting is a true benefit. Instead of the excitement I was expecting I was taken aback by the calls of cheating and unfairness. This blew my mind. Further, I got myself into a position where individuals were leaving really bad comments on the video. These came from people who I was trying to help, from far off countries. The only thing that I have done that could be seen as unfair would be my offer to help local growers obtain plants, but I did my best to help everyone. To keep the field level and to truly advance the concept it is important that the growers learn how to do it themselves. I apologize to those who were looking forward growing grafts this next year. I have little desire to get into the middle of things and dont want to be the focus of any bad karma.

11/20/2012 9:29:28 AM

The North Coast

What I know now is that most people are good and open to the challenges of growing giants. Others are not and a few can be real (expletives). I don't have space in my head for a soap opera drama nor do I desire to get myself into a position where I am in the middle of a soap opera. My ambition to help folks grow watermelons that would be able to compete with the current record holder is tempered by all the negativity. It should not be this way, everyone's goal is size. No fair saying that one method is so different that it requires its own league. For the people who's desire it is to grow monster melons, the information is out there. Don't limit yourself to what is traditional, that will only get you traditional results. For those heritage growers out there, you can continue your purest approach to growing giants by strengthening genetics. Good luck.

Mr. Bartoli's melon is the largest melon ever grown. For the GWG not to recognize it reminds me a little bit of the politics of Washington. How can it be that it is not recognized...is it not a watermelon? Is it not the biggest watermelon? It can be a recognized melon without the need of engraving his name on the trophy and sending it to Italy.

The growing of giants is a hobby for me, one that I am phasing out of. I am also finished trying to advance the concept of grafting. I am ready to move on to something else new and exciting. I know my loving wife would really like it if I tried to make money with the same intensity as gigantic fruit. Maybe she is right...that can be fun too.

Good luck to the GWG, I hope it all works out for your club. Even though I feel some things are a bit messed up, I wish you well.

11/20/2012 9:29:43 AM

Cologne Brescia Italy

Hey Sergio, I am on the GWG board, and we would love to congratulate Mr. Bartoli, on his world record watermelon. We have a trophy for the world record, but it is only for members, but we had a name plate made to go on the trophy that has Mr. Bartoli's name, weight, and year grown that will go on the trophy, that trophy will remain with the member until another member grows a larger melon.. He had a awesome year, and we all want him to know how proud we are of him and his accomplishments in the world of melon growing. The club would love to have members from Italy, so if you or Mr. Bartoli would like to join, please let one of the board members know. Also, if possible if you or Mr. Bartoli would like to write a small article for the GWG newsletter about growing in Italy that would be great for the members, you could just send that to me, and it would go to all members.
I know Mr. Bartoli's seeds will be great in the future, and we would love to have some to auction off. Also I, would love to grow a few myself, so if he is interested we would love to get them in the ground! I grew a 282lbs last year, and if you or he are interested, I can send you some as well.
Please relay this to Mr. Bartoli, and tell him congratulations on the world record!!!
Thanks Todd Dawson

Todd Dawson
Ice Occasions of NC
330 Sherwee Drive
Raleigh, NC 27603
919-662-1374
www.iceoccasionsofnc.com
Find us on Facebook @ Ice Occasions Of NC

--- On Fri, 11/16/12, sergio.moretti@libero.it <sergio.moretti@libero.it> wrote:

11/20/2012 10:12:17 AM

Cologne Brescia Italy

I Removed for error a e mail i think from
Kent ( the grower of the 291) so please can re contact me?
Thanks
Sergio

11/20/2012 10:32:15 AM

sevierville, Tn

sergio my email is christopherkent@mindspring.com

Tell Mr. Bartoli that i consider him the world record holder.
i have said that before. He grew a great melon period !
he deserves the title. We grow for biggest. His is the biggest.
chris kent

11/20/2012 10:58:33 AM

Canton Ohio

I also consider Mr. Bartoli the world record holder for giant watermelons. I for one would love to have him come to the Las Vegas convention and share his experience in grafting etc. I wonder if the GWC has any funds that could be made available to subsidize his trip. I would also like to see the GPC take a stand on Mr Bartoli's side and pressure the GWC to change their idiotic ruling.

11/20/2012 1:08:29 PM

Garner, NC

Frankie, "I would also like to see the GPC take a stand on Mr Bartoli's side and pressure the GWC to change their idiotic ruling" Fiirst it's the GWG, not the GWC, and I would like to know what you want the GPC to pressure us the change?

11/20/2012 1:21:16 PM

Flowery Branch, Georgia

Thanks to Chris Kent the former WR holder
for his statement on this subject.

His statement is logical and accurate as relates to
Mr. Bartoli.

11/20/2012 2:06:23 PM

Cologne Brescia Italy

My post above is not for to do more caos, but just for let all know the Mr Bartoli seem to have the WR at the end of the story! now let the water is calm.

11/20/2012 2:25:25 PM