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sevierville, Tn

I wish to personally thank Nathan for all his work these past 2 years. We talked many times on what to do & where we went wrong & how to fix the errors. While there are still alot of avenues to follow & problems to fix (only 1 of good size made it), i think that we had a good success.

Nathan wanted his story told, & since i'm sure many don't know it... i thought i would post it. The following is what he wrote... Thanks again Nathan for all your help !!

10/16/2013 6:44:00 AM

sevierville, Tn

My name is Nathan Okorn, I live in Bat Cave, North Carolina. I am avid gardener who really enjoys good plant performance. A few years ago I was in search of ways to increase production and performance of my tomatoes when I stumbled onto the concept of grafting. We have all heard of the use of grafting with fruit trees, roses, and grapes but the grafting of annuals is quite new here in the United States. As it turns out grafting of tomatoes and watermelon is wildly popular and successful in many other areas of the world. The grafting of a tomato seedling onto a commercial rootstock gives the grower a whole new level plant vigor and disease resistance. Tomato growers all over Europe and Asia now use grafted tomatoes exclusively in their farms to increase profits and overcome diseases in the soil. The farmers of grafted tomatoes get higher levels of production without the need for higher usages of fertilizer, fungicides, and pesticides. The grafting of tomatoes overcomes the soil borne diseases that usually required methyl bromide fumigation to alleviate. Methyl bromide fumigation is terribly harmful for the soil and the environment. Its use is banned everywhere except the US where it is being phased out. So, as you may see, I am a big proponent of grafting. In farming, grafting gets you a good return on investment and reduces the need for products that may be harmful to the environment. In the future we will be much more familiar in this country also.

10/16/2013 6:44:50 AM

sevierville, Tn

My first year of grafting I produced 400 grafted tomato plants. I focused mostly on heirloom tomato varieties where the benefit of grafting would be greatest. We grew out and trellised 18 varieties of grafted heirloom tomatoes that year and the results were off the charts. We also sold hundreds of the grafted plants at garden shows for $7 a piece. Funny thing is that I was selling a product that nobody was familiar with, for a high price and people were buying them left and right. That year was the only year that I went all out and tried to make a profit with the plants. Anymore, I just graft for my personal needs.

10/16/2013 6:45:10 AM

sevierville, Tn

Soon my studies let me to the use of grafting to increase production and disease resistance in Cucurbitae. What I discovered was that the same story was true. Countries all around the world use commercial rootstocks their production of cucumbers, cantaloupe, and watermelon. In fact, the use of rootstocks is the only way that they can have a successful crop in some countries. Again, here in the United States we use different farming practices and the concept is seen as too new and too cost prohibitive.




What I experienced with grafting of cucumbers is amazing. The plant has no problems keeping up with fruit production even as the plant gets large and production is off the charts (or at least far more than any cucumber that I have ever grown). The secret to their success is their vastly superior ability of the roots to pull nutrition out of the soil and send it up the plant.

10/16/2013 6:45:23 AM

sevierville, Tn

That first season of grafting I remembered that I had some giant watermelon seeds in my collection so I decided to graft some of them also. The result, as it turned out, was the first ever grafted competitive watermelon plant. Unfortunately, that plant ended up spending way too much time in a pot in my greenhouse until one day I felt bad for it and set it out in the worst part of my garden. Low and behold that watermelon plant started to take over real estate like no melon I have ever grown and in a remarkably short season it was able to put off one beautiful fruit. That fruit was taken to the fair and weighed in at a very pleasing 121 pounds. Also of note was how small that melon was in comparison to it's estimated weight. It was small but very dense. It was after that first season that I realized that this technique could produce a world record watermelon.

10/16/2013 6:45:37 AM

sevierville, Tn

Very early the next season I approached the giant watermelon growing community on BigPumpkins.com with an offer. I said to them that I had no real desire to grow a world record watermelon personally but I would be willing to help you to grow the world record. As it turns out, those words and that statement ruffled a lot of feathers across the country. Plenty of people did not take me seriously and many ridiculed my idea. My proposal was that they would send me their seeds and I would return them a grafted giant watermelon plant with a commercial rootstock.

10/16/2013 6:45:47 AM

sevierville, Tn

That first season was rough on myself and the few growers that I was associated with. Circumstances out of our control eliminated all of the grafted plants by seasons end. The failure of my first year fueled the ridicule and made me not want to help this growing community in the future. I found myself way too often having to defend myself and the concept. Until a family from Italy who has farmed watermelons in northern Italy since 1960 decided to graft their own giant watermelon plants. The Bartoli family does grow grafted watermelon plants on their farm in Italy and they also like to grow a few giant watermelons just for the fun of it. These grafted plants that they produced went on to re-write the once all American record books. The world record stood at 291 pounds for many years until the Bartoli's broke the record with a 307 pound watermelon, then two weeks later with a 326 pound watermelon. Wow...the watermelon growing community was shocked. Personally, I was happy that someone was able to run with the concept and do something special but I was still dejected about giving anymore help to this growing community.

10/16/2013 6:46:17 AM

sevierville, Tn

Time does tend to heal wounds and I am a man who is filled with patriotic pride, I knew that I was the only one able to help these people regain their crown from Italy. I decided to give the watermelon community my help for just one more year. So I studied and researched the problems that we encountered in the previous season, acquired new high end rootstock seeds from Japan, and prepared again for the assault on world record and to re-gain the crown.



Chris Kent has been one of the worlds best watermelon grower over the last 5-6 years. He was the American who held the world record for a good period of time before the Italians showed up. He had plans to graft his own watermelon plants this season but after a few unsuccessful trials he gave me a call. I did agree to help him and provide him the two grafted plants that he was hoping to grow this season. In time, I also committed to helping a few other growers. As with the first year, I helped them for free.

10/16/2013 6:46:32 AM

sevierville, Tn

The season was lining up. Each grower sent me their seeds plus some extra and I would graft the plants and get the plants to the growers when needed. I did successfully graft the specific melons needed to fill the orders, plus I grafted a few extra to be used as needed. One of the extra melons that I grafted was from a seed from the 291 pound world record watermelon from a few years back. Right away I noticed something special in that 291 grafted plant but nobody requested a 291 in their order...what to do? I told Chris Kent about my feelings on the 291 graft and he said that he would be happy to take it and hold it as a back up plant. He had no plans to plant it. After about a week of him getting to know that 291 (which was still in a pot) he saw what I saw in the plant, call it intuition, instinct, or just a gut feeling. Chris then modified his garden to accommodate the 291 and that is the plant that went on to be the champion! The melon that this plant produced is vastly larger in size and weight when compared to the world record from Italy. It was a great moment when that melon went to the scales. It was a personal victory, it was vindication, it was great for the concept of grafting, it was great for every proud American. Best part about it for me was that I got to share that great moment with my mother, it is she who created my love and passion for gardening.

10/16/2013 6:46:50 AM

sevierville, Tn

Going forward, I understand that Chris Kent grew that melon but I am the one who was dedicated, did the research, did the experimentation, took the force of failure, was motivated by patriotism, who sacrificed again, and produced a world class product for them grow. I am like the trainer for a boxer in the ring...I teach, I train, I sacrifice and when we win I watch the champion raise his arms in victory. That is fine, but it is important for me to have my story told, especially to someone like yourself who may appreciate it.

10/16/2013 6:47:10 AM

sevierville, Tn

Nathan told me he was going to take a break from the melons for awhile, so i hope when he comes back, he will feel good about all that he accomplished !

Thanks Nathan !!

10/16/2013 6:52:36 AM

Muddy Waters

Great Job! Nathan!! I knew the 291 Kent was a great seed when it grew my 198 Clementz in the weeds back to back with the 260.5 but outside the kin cave in 2011.I think the grafting aspect added 10% to the weight.If you look at Bartolis melons & Chris's I see aprox.10% to 15% increase over traditional fruits.Cant prove it yet,But time will tell.

A big Congrats to both of you!!

10/16/2013 6:57:59 AM

sevierville, Tn

BTW, just like with the space program providing benefits to all of us, Nathan did come across a potential solution to a huge problem that all growers, especially pumpkin, have. I hope we can work on it this winter when Nathan returns.

10/16/2013 8:27:31 AM

formerly RGG

What Nathan's research helped him to learn has become a great step forward in the giant watermelon growing community. And that is thanks to his unselfish willingness to share his hard work and knowledge to any grower who expressed interest. I am sure the 113 Kent plant I grew last year would never have produced a 224 pounds melon had it not been for the grafted rootstock that Nathan expertly added for me. How big would Chris' melon gotten without the grafted rootstock ? No one will ever know for sure. But I am near certain it is a safe bet the 350.5 would have been considerably smaller. It is sad to me that a expert grower like Bill Edwards may never again have a chance for the world record. And this because he thinks the grafting process is somehow inappropriate and gives the grafted grower an advantage that relegates his produce into a separate category. This attempt to categorize the produce of grafted melon plants as somehow tainted just seems plain wrong.Grafting is indeed elevating the game of growing giant watermelons to the next level. Those who refuse to embrace progress are soon left behind. Fellow growers, I say let us be open minded about any process that helps to further our quest to be the best we possibly can.

10/16/2013 10:03:53 AM

formerly RGG

Chris, please consider applying to the Guiness Book of World Records. Lloyd Bright's 268.8 was a awesome record when it was grown. But I think Lloyd would agree it is time to let Guiness readers know that the record has grown considerably past the benchmark he set back in 2005. I believe one of the reasons most of us grow giants is for the recognition that may follow our success. Chris, I think you deserve Guiness recognition for your awesome accomplishment and also feel there should also be some mention of the contribution of Nathan Okorn.Of course that would be up to the Guiness people. We have the world record back here in good old North America, where I feel most North Americans feel it belongs. Without Nathan's passion, hard work and unselfish dedication, I think it is probable the world record would still reside in Italy.

10/16/2013 10:04:13 AM

Sevierville TN

Chris you need to get that Guiness Book Of World Record form filled out! I am so proud of you in so many ways! you are so gifted in growing that you can do anything you put your mind to. I love you very much. Jessy

10/16/2013 11:52:10 AM

Italy

Hi I'm Bartoli Gabriele's cousin Ivan, I want to make my contribution in terms of engagement and support what was said by Mr Nathan. In Italy as in Europe and Asia grafting is a very common practice for anyone who carries out the activity in a professional manner, now engage all garden plants (watermelon melon cucumbers Eggplant peppers tomatoes etc. ..) and this from countless advantages to those as in greenhouses has no chance to move on virgin land and cultivates the same product in the same way for years. From us fumigation is prohibited as well as methyl bromide that sterilize the soil, and here you have the possibility to combine features of two plants in from countless advantages, as for the giant watermelon rootstocks may be used particularly strong and employ the plant that mirrors the features that we want to play with a much higher specific weight. Of course there are also several problems which meets in cultivating a plant engaged in fact despite 20 years innestiamo from only 3 years 2 apply this technique to giant watermelons the first tests carried out over the years seemed to not give benefits to Iveco put exactly this technique to exploit its full potential, it is necessary to handle well the vigour of the plant you should not swell test different types of rootstock, etc..It seems to me absurd to think divide the fruit into two categories as if the graft to produce a different watermelon, if we continue to grow we need to improve our current cultivation techniques and exchange experiences and so the graft is one of the ways that you can go to get more heavy fruits.

10/22/2013 4:47:58 AM

formerly RGG

"It seems to me absurd to think divide the fruit into two categories as if the graft to produce a different watermelon"
- I think you stated your opinion very well Ivan. That is my opinion also.

10/22/2013 7:28:27 AM