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Location

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Date Posted

Eastern Shore of VA

I know I should probably cull it,but I found a melon on my 209 Schinicker today.
I pollinated it with a male from the 193 Bright.
There is probably only about 20 linear feet of vine on the plant.The temps have dropped from the mid to high 80s to the lower 70s the last 2 days because of a cold front which has brought much needed rain.
I couldn't resist it.Photos soon to be up in my grower diary.
First year excitement I guess.

6/3/2015 7:06:24 PM

formerly RGG

I found a tiny melon embryo on my 119.5 in my front yard bed this morning and picked it off immediately. The vine is only about 2' long at this early stage. Generally if you leave a melon to grow on a small vine it will not only grow a small melon but it will also stunt the vine for some time. You should remove it immediately if you are attempting to grow a giant watermelon.

6/4/2015 10:08:15 PM

Home of happy lil plants

I just want to keep a melon already!!!! And skip the culls part

6/5/2015 12:00:09 AM

formerly RGG

I am fairly certain that setting a melon on a small vine will lead only to a small melon and disappointment.I had a personal experience with this 3 years ago. Mark Clementz told me I needed to cut a melon off a small vine but it was getting a little late in the season and I wouldn't listen. The plant grew a nice melon but not a large one and the vines slowed their growth dramatically for a while because the melon was taking nearly everything the plant could produce toward growth.This practice will lead to disappointment time and time again I believe. I don't think any experienced growers would disagree with me. My 228.5 was on a already huge vine when it was pollinated and that vine never slowed its growth a bit as far as I could tell. If you want a big healthy melon then grow a big healthy vine for it to set on.You won't be sorry.It's all about getting better weight gain. Just think, if you get get a melon to gain an average extra pound a day for its approximately 100 days of growth you may have just gone from a 100 pounds watermelon to a 200 pounds watermelon.But you have to be able to keep your vines healthy for several months to get a melon to grow for 100 days plus.

6/5/2015 6:31:14 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

Culled it today.
I knew I should have culled it right away, but I have to agree with Spence.
I just want a melon already! (Stomps feet and pokes out lip)
By the way,Spence the photos in your grower diary of your patch with all the board layouts above and alongside your plants are really cool.

6/5/2015 9:02:34 PM