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South Carolina

This was my first year growing melons and were no giants but here what I had .

grower Tom Thomason
#1
166 lbs
32" length
57" girth
80" cc
46" side to side
54" end to end
213 kent x open

#2
147 lbs
? length
49.5 girth
83' cc
39" side to side
52" end to end
213 kent x open

#3
123 lbs
? length
49" girth
73" cc
40" side to side
50" end to end
213 kent x open

#4
116 lbs
31" length
44.5" girth
77" cc
34" side to side
48.5 end to end
213kent x open
I broke stem off at about 50 days

#5

126 lbs
? length
? girth
78" cc
37" side to side
49" end to end

11/2/2009 8:37:39 AM

South East

Great Job Tom!! where in sc are you?

11/2/2009 8:50:18 AM

South Carolina

I'm in Gray Court about 25 miles below greenville

11/2/2009 11:07:12 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

First year growing melons and you have 5 over a hundred and one that hit 166. That sound's like a pretty darn good start to me. Thanks for the data. It's been recorded.

11/2/2009 12:03:26 PM

South Carolina

I found out that you have to have goods seeds to start with and Chris Kent gave me my seeds to start so ThankS to him and the rest I just learned from reading old past post on this forum So thanks to people like you all I need to do is look back and see what works and does not work .

11/2/2009 2:07:29 PM

sevierville, Tn

Great job Tom, Glad my seeds did good for you. Just wait till next year, better seeds + better experience = bigger melons !

11/2/2009 2:47:01 PM

Bowdon, GA

Great job Tom. That was a heck of a first year. I think that 166 was about twice the size of my first one. I'm sure we'll see some great big ones from you next year. By the way I got your bubble. The last seeds are drying I will send them out as soon as they are finished. I got my first brown seeds out of the second melon.

11/2/2009 6:48:02 PM

Bowdon, GA

Just looked over the numbers. All of them were very close to the chart. Good solid melons. You,ve got something figured out that eluded me this year. Last year mine were fairly close. This year most were at least 10lbs. light, with all different types of seeds. Looking like more proof that density is not genetic.

11/2/2009 6:53:22 PM

formerly RGG

Tom, I think you've beaten first year numbers for just about all of us. You certainly appear to be headed toward future giants and a lot more to be proud of.Keep up the good work.

11/2/2009 8:50:21 PM

Mississippi

2007 my first year growing cc melons, mine looked like sugar babies. 2008 I had a 67#er. 2009 had a 70#er. I think I'm going to have to take alot of summer school. Gave my brother some seeds out of my 67 and he grew a 124. Yikes.

11/2/2009 9:30:05 PM

South Carolina

To be honest I think you have to start with good seeds to have a good start, my 166 lb melon was almost perfect shape and was not hollow but the rest had diffent thing about them flat tops or pointed ends. So I'm only going to keep a few seeds out of it and I know I did a poor job of plant health so there was a lot of lost weight to be had.But the thing I think I did do right was irrigation I had drip-tape under my plants.

11/3/2009 9:21:05 AM

sevierville, Tn

The pointed ends were probally due to poor polination.

11/3/2009 2:50:00 PM

Bowdon, GA

Poor shape=poor pollination, but also seems like sometimes it can be caused by not enough water at pollination. Seen it happen alot in dry years.

11/4/2009 5:07:08 PM

Bowdon, GA

I believe your right on your water probablly one reason it was solid.

11/4/2009 5:09:04 PM