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Pittsburgh, PA

You guys ever here that watermelon seeds that were grown from a grafted plant, won't grow well unless they are again grown from a grafted plant?

3/13/2020 8:26:40 PM

Bethlehem CT

That ideahas come up before, especially when this whole grafting thing was just starting to gain popularity. I wonder how many 300 pound melons have been grown traditionally, that were from seeds from grafted plants. I do agree that breeding becomes less clear. How do we know what we are breeding for when exactly when half the plant is some other species? How much of the success of the melon is from the watermelon? How much of the success is from the rootstock?
With all that being said, I am sure a good grower could take a 350 Kent seed and grow a pretty darndarn big traditonally grown melon . Probably not to 350 pounds though, in my opinion .

3/14/2020 9:22:12 AM

simpson,KS

I grew a 350.5 Kent several years ago and crossed it with the 316 Edwards grew a 182 then last season the 182 selfed grew my 224.9 so this season we are going to see how much that seed can increase in size. all traditional of course it all depends on the weather!!

3/14/2020 10:45:27 AM

Liberty nc

I think steven Jackson traditional 308.5 came from a melon that was grafted.not for sure but maybe he will comment

3/16/2020 10:50:35 PM

Grant, AL

The seed that Steven grew his melon from was Daniel Whites 276 from 2018. He didn’t take it to a weighoff because it had a hole in the side of it but he grew the 276 from Franks 321. Not sure if the 276 was grafted or not but I believe it was a graft. Daniel grew 3 good melons that year: a traditional 255, the 276 that I believe was a graft, and the 288 that was a graft.

3/17/2020 9:30:18 PM

SPmtnAL

Happy growing to everyone this year. This virus has me worried this year. I’m trying to get some Grafts to live as we speak I’ve never quite got the hang of it. ............................ Yes my 308 was a traditional and its momma was Daniels 276 which was a graft. That was the only graft he had in 2018. I don’t know how much difference it makes .. I think Luck , Weather Has the most to do with it. In that order. This year I’m gonn try and grow the longest Kudzo vine LOL. Good Luck to everyone.

3/23/2020 10:25:35 PM