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Central Illinois

What causes empty pockets in a watermelon heres a picture of what I mean

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=212318

Mine had these last year the soil was very dry and they were over mature. I wondered if it was lack of moisture.They were some type of seedless variety.

2/13/2014 5:07:18 PM

Muddy Waters

I dont think there is anyway to totally eliminate this as the melons get bigger they will have air.I bet the first 400 lber will look just like yours.How often & how much did you water??

2/13/2014 7:34:57 PM

Corryton, TN

It's referred to as "hollow heart". Some varieties are more prone to have it. I've had a couple of solid CC's but very few. Most newer eating melons are generally solid. A lot of info out there in variety trials with reference to HH.

2/13/2014 7:48:29 PM

50 Acres

tax man!!!

2/13/2014 8:22:14 PM

Central Illinois

Thanks, the image in the link was from the diary of big moon, not one of mine. The variety I grew was Yellow Buttercup Hybrid I just wanted to see a yellow watermelon and grew it in a small corner of the garden.

Handy I never did water them and it was very dry that year.

hollow heart, I searched a lot of words,hole cavity air pocket thanks for that tip

I take it that its not something you can control, or cause.

This year I doubt that I will grow any melons I plan on growing winter squash as a trap plant for svb.

Pretty good littlehud, how about pumpkin fever

2/14/2014 8:46:57 AM

Central Illinois

OK I see that its a mystery, with several opinions on the matter thanks for the responses, I never would have come up with HH as a search term

maybe adding tags to a post could be possible

2/14/2014 9:06:08 AM

50 Acres

Sorry for the blurb. Idont grow watermelons, but I think these high moisture fruits, in my opinion suffer from our in ability to control soil moisture. Mother Nature dumps on us and we take it all and the plant has to adjust.

2/14/2014 11:59:02 AM

Bethlehem CT

Just an observation here; Hollow heart seems to happen when a vegetable grows exceedingly large. For instance jumbo potatoes usually have hollow hearts, as do Giant radishes, rutabagas etc.

2/14/2014 12:33:36 PM

Central Illinois

What holds together the meat of the melon ,could that be part of the problem,wood was fiber and can bend and swell but at some point it breaks apart, could that be at all similar.

I like the theory of it growing to fast,the meat stays attached to the walls and it pulls the center apart

2/14/2014 1:30:45 PM