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Corryton, TN

Did anyone grow any of these this year or in recent years?

10/28/2009 6:29:58 AM

formerly RGG

I grew this variety of melon several years back. It got to a good size but I thougth it was tasteless.

10/28/2009 8:32:28 AM

Mississippi

Same here, never developed any good red color inside.

10/28/2009 2:01:32 PM

Corryton, TN

I really don't care much about color or taste, I'm just wondering how big this variety can get and the potential for hybrid vigor in a F1 cross.

10/28/2009 4:15:30 PM

formerly RGG

At it's best this variety won't grow melons but about 1/2 as big as Carolina Cross does at it's best.

10/28/2009 7:45:35 PM

Bowdon, GA

I tried them before mine didn't taste so bad. They were just really coarse. They do get good size. They could potentially get 130 with some work. The only thing with crossing them with cc's is they are basically round. Might really hurt the chances considering how important length is. But anyway, sorry to get off subject. I don't have any seeds, but Reimer seeds has them as well as some other on-line companies. Don't quote me but I think victory and heirloom seeds ring a bell. I quess it don't hurt try. Good Luck Dave

10/28/2009 9:21:10 PM

Mississippi

I have grown different varieties side by side for probably eight years now and have had several crosses show up. I have not noticed any hybrid vigor. If anything I would say my crosses are smaller and more disease prone. Should probably trash a few bags of seeds that I have grown out of and got really poor results. I don't think melons work like corn with hybrid vigor, but I would like to hear some theories about getting bigger melons besides crossing monsters. Whoever developed cc melons did a mighty fine job.

10/30/2009 11:06:10 PM

Mississippi

Oh yeah,
Chris Kent, when can we expect your tips sheet? Ha ha

10/30/2009 11:31:15 PM

sevierville, Tn

My "tip sheet" was this board & all the advice/tip from fellow growers... add that to my "growing them like pumpkins except don't bury" = a good year !
Also many hours of TLC each day.

Or you can use gilligan's island method... 1 part sunshine,2 parts water, 3 parts prayer ! LOL
The tiki torches must be kept lit ! Those seeds die we die ! lol

10/31/2009 5:05:22 PM

sevierville, Tn

While i tried to cross different CC this year, I guess they all go straight back to the brights seed line. Does anyone know of a CC that came from somewhere else ?

If this premise is true, then there probally isn't any "hybrid vigor" to be found at this point. We just have to keep crossing the most promising seeds to get bigger & better melons.

10/31/2009 5:11:16 PM

formerly RGG

Hey Cowboy, seems like Smoky just doesn't want to give up those super secret growing tips. We just need a plan. Perhaps about 6 of us ( trust me, he is a big strong hillbilly and it would take several of us to overpower him )could grab him and get him tied up & placed in a soundproof room and then play rap music until he breaks and reveals all his super secret growing methods. Then we'd all be able to grow 259 pounders and things on earth would seem fair once again.But then don't you think that might take all the fun out of trying to figure this out for ourselves? :-)

10/31/2009 7:43:56 PM

sevierville, Tn

There is no secret, really !!!!! NO RAP MUSIC PLEASE !
What do you want to know ???? I'll talk.... plant, care, grow, water, pick, weigh, win....there's my secret ! LOL

10/31/2009 7:57:05 PM

Cortona Toscana Italy

yes, is true waermelon dont work like corn to hibrid vigor
to have some result out of crossing two variety of watermelon you need two line of severaly selfed blod, wen you have strong homozigosis in the two parents you can have some sort of vigor in the next generation, but telling the true, i think it work better for resistence to some disease that for size, but that is just teory in some book, the only way is to try!

11/21/2009 2:59:10 AM