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Ut

Hey TD did you ever tell us what happened to your conjoined melon? I had one start but LATE in the season.

Also, Thinking Big how did those Turkey plants turn out? Did they grow melons as well as they grow vines?

9/28/2011 11:08:05 AM

formerly RGG

Hey WD, my conjoined melon is grown and still sitting in my garden. I think it will only go about 80 pounds. I will be taking it to the Allardt weigh-off next Saturday for exhibition. There is a picture of it at the bottom of my growers diary. It's crossed with my 291 Kent and should be a good seed to grow. I am wondering if it will have extra seeds in it since it is essentially two melons. Those Turkey melons sound like they would be fun to grow and I have also been wondering about them.

9/28/2011 2:14:29 PM

Ut

Ah yes, should have checked your diary. That's one whacky melon! I'm glad you pulled it off growing it upright even though you made us all nervous.

9/28/2011 5:37:03 PM

formerly RGG

Thanks WD

9/28/2011 8:21:27 PM

Forest Hill,md.

Hi,The plants did okay for losing the entire month of september and last week of august.Did not know that they would go that crazy with the vine growth,and as they were overcrowding the whole patch i decided to prune them back to give the cc,s some more needed room.In doing so i believe some sort of wilt disease that started on the cc,s infected the turkey vines running through and around them..growth stopped or crawled and did not get much more out of the whole patch.I can tell you that iam very impressed with them anyway.By aug 20 they reached 78" girth and measured around 24" in straight length.Bath scale recorded the plant that had only one melon on plant at 125lb,and the other plant that had three melons had (1) at 115,(1) at 110, and the other at 118.I believe with 4-5 weeks of growing season lost they would have recorded way higher.The number of culls on the one plant reached over 100.I did not have that many on all of the cc,s put togethor(9) plants.Not to mention the great taste that they had even losing some of the season.In the future i will give them three times the area and separate them from any cc,s.However i did cross them with the mitchell 255 and will probally plant only the crosses to see what that can do.I believe that the girth would or could get in the 80" zone at least.Now to get the length of the cc,s.....Sorry for the long post.

9/28/2011 9:24:15 PM

Ut

78" girth! That's amazing! Those plants sound very interesting. Thanks for the update. I want seeds:)

9/28/2011 10:04:54 PM

Ut

Before the plants are totally dead I'd send in a stump with roots and dirt and some vine for a tissue sample. It only cost me $7 and I found out I have fusarium and verticillium wilt. Nice right? So I'm looking at new ground for next year and will start prepping the soil this fall. If you have a wilt then planting there next year might be hopless. Like you I was able to get a couple nice melons regardless, but I think it would catch up to me quicker next year. Did your leaves die from the crown out or what was it like?

I'm still trying to imagine what that girth would look like. Yes, a little length on that and you'll have one honkin melon.

9/29/2011 12:17:45 AM

Muddy Waters

You Guys must be calling Circumference Girth???? The WR Kent had a 67 inch Girth if you have yay beat by 11 inchs!WOW!!!Girth is sideways on melon! circum is length,long ways???

9/29/2011 5:42:24 AM

Ut

I was imagining a short fat melon, but maybe you're right. It is a different variety though. Thinking big?

Also, you're not going to want to hear this TB, but it is written that seeds should not be saved form plants with wilts! Terrible I know because you have some seeds you’re excited about. You might carry the wilt to the new site via the seeds. And if you share seeds from a plant with a wilt you should probably include a disclaimer. Get the tissue test so you know for sure! If you’re lucky it is something less sinister.

I can't save my seeds from my melons this year for that very reason. I guess there's a chance it won't carry over so you could take the risk knowingly.

9/29/2011 11:12:05 AM