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Rochester, Minnesota

Last May a new melon grower named Carol Huntington contacted me through email about getting some watermelon seeds. We started talking about how it was a little late to start plants this year, but send me the address anyway. Turns out she only lived about 25 miles to the south of me, so I invited her to visit and I gave her my four spare plants. We also talked at length about techniques for growing.

I visited her garden early summer and even thought she had a great looking garden, it didn't seem like she was overly on top of her melon growing. So I wasn't too worried about the competition.

I visited her again last night to check on she was doing and I brought my tape and tables along.

Here's the top two melons:

#1 - Length: 32, EE 55, SS 44.5, Girth 60, Cir 87. OTT=186.5 = Est: 173#

#2 - Length: 32.5, EE 53, SS 40, Girth 53.5, Cir 87. OTT=180 = Est: 157.3#

With around 4 weeks of growing to go, and some really good summer weather holding out here, she could grow a 195 to 210 pound first melon of her life.

What a way to start.

8/31/2010 10:03:39 AM

Trinity River Bottom

not sure but i bet not many growers start out with a 200 pounder there first year. probably just good advise!

8/31/2010 10:19:05 AM

Corryton, TN

I hope she joins this family.

8/31/2010 10:54:55 AM

Rochester, Minnesota

By the way. Her plant structure looks really good for end of August. I suspect she will get continued plant growth. We talked about end of season stuff, and even got her to think about the national weighins on Oct 2nd.

Our little corner of Minnesota really rocks for growing giant melons.

8/31/2010 11:48:36 AM

sevierville, Tn

That 173 lbs is nice with 4 weeks to grow !

8/31/2010 1:30:35 PM

Garner, NC

Funny the numbers we get measuring these melons, melon #1 is bigger everywhere but has the same CC as #2.

Congrats to a new grower!! Also, great job James on helping another person get started!!! I bet now she's hooked for life.

8/31/2010 2:21:41 PM

Frankfort Oh

LOL,James -thats what I did with our club president and now hes got one almost bigger then me-what the heck

8/31/2010 4:20:20 PM

Frankfort Oh

ps the good thing is -its on my seed -just like you did!

8/31/2010 4:21:10 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

I sent her the link to this forum, so I hope she will join in, but you never know. There are a lot of growers out there that don't care much for computers.

The #1 melon is somewhat football shaped with it being really wide in the middle. The #2 melon is nicely shaped with good shoulders in both the front and back. It just needs to be a little fatter.

I have one myself that has a world record girth on it, but it just doesn't have the length. Oh well, it would be nice to have everything.

8/31/2010 4:32:58 PM

Frankfort Oh

lol,not evrything -just the world record

8/31/2010 7:50:17 PM

Pataskala,OH

Glad I have that seed.

8/31/2010 7:57:31 PM

Rochester, Minnesota

Honestly, it has a 65" girth. Looking at the records, that's a winner. The problem is that it only has a 29.5" length. Big melon, but it's not going to win any contests by weight or by looks.

9/1/2010 8:03:51 AM

Frankfort Oh

hey James you know what they say-theres always next year -right-all we can do is find ways to make things better for next year-and without the length you can forget it ,I`m really going for seeds next year that grew 34 or better ,just for me I`m going with my gut feeling and work more on my soil.I think thats where the key really lies in growing these monsters.

9/1/2010 8:34:03 AM

Frankfort Oh

PS THATS SOME CRAZY GIRTH ,WOW- WISH i HAD THAT.

9/1/2010 8:35:09 AM

Trinity River Bottom

to begin with next year. i was looking at some of the data on these big melons. and the discussions we have had here. for the pollinator i would like to use seed from melons that were at least 63" in girth and go with the longest female i can find. simple plan but you have to start somewhere. and try to cull any melons on the vine that were open poll.

9/1/2010 8:54:09 AM

sevierville, Tn

MMM, wow, that sounds like one of mine. How long was the female & which seed if you know ??

9/1/2010 2:20:32 PM

Garner, NC

Ok. yall are killing me with the 65" girths. I measured mine this morning...57" then took the tape and slide it to 66" and couldn't believe just how big that really is.

9/1/2010 2:53:43 PM

sevierville, Tn

Todd, Your welcome any time to come see them in my garden !
Monday would be nice, I need some help loading ;)

9/1/2010 4:14:50 PM

Rochester, MN

James (aka MMM),
Carol Rocks!!! Great to see her doing so well after we last visited her...I think I gave her plants last year, but not much happened...so I think she is a 2nd year grower...but I think she'll whoop up on me this year...also think another grower I've helped a bit in Austin is going to have a shot at the state record of 225 also.

When we hit Aug 1st..I truly thought I'd have some near 240 lbs this year...but my plants have died out or my watermelon have rotted internally for some reason...so has been a bummer of a year...but I think I still might pull off a PB around 200lbs...but will have to use every ounce of skill I can to squeeze it out of them!

Plus I think you have some great plants and will give Carol and Brian a run! Rock on James!

9/1/2010 10:03:02 PM