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  • From: Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] watermelon variety
  • Date: Thu, 13 Aug 2009 06:59:10 -0500 (CDT)

Having done trials of watemelon varieties since the early 80's, I can tell
you that if there are any "personal-sized" heirloom watermelon varieties,
they must be rare. In the US we focused on big watermelons for so many years.
Wilhite Seed in Texas is a company that carries many old varieties, but most
are pretty big.

However, the Japanese started breeding small watermelons many years ago. They
really developed the style of watermelon we call "personal-sized". Back in
the 80's a did a trial of melons with a bunch of entries from Mikado Seeds.
They had one shaped like a football that averaged about 5 lb. But it tended
to crack very easily. I think they were still working out the obstacles to
developing this style of watermelon. They needed a thin rind to have a
substantial sweet-flesh zone. But that led to cracking. Obviously that issue
has been resolved. But my point is, these types are a relatively new
phenomenon. I don't think there are any trellis type varieties of watermelon
that could be called heirloom. But if you're not limited to "heirlooms",
there are a number of new varieties of these types on the market.

Bill



>
>We have done galia and charantais in unheated hoop house in zone 5.
>but not water melon. Sugar baby is a good one-sweet red fleshed and
>early. I do not believe there are any GMO melons commercially
>available so don't worry about that. I don't know of any red fleshed
>small/fridge type watermelons that are heirloom.
>
>
>On Aug 12, 2009, at 11:42 AM, Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
>
>> Sugar Baby is always a great little watermelon (they will have to
>> hand-pollinate). Are your friends also in zone 5? I'm interested in
>> the
>> economics of growing winter melons in zone 5...it must take a LOT
>> of heat
>> and light. I crunched the numbers and it didn't work for me. They
>> might
>> want to consider a higher-value 'gourmet' melon, like a Charantais.
>> They are
>> unusual (at least around here) and people love them. I grow melons
>> in my
>> zone 5 greenhouse in the summer. The first are just ripening. This
>> cool
>> summer they needed all the extra warmth the greenhouse could give
>> them!
>>
>> Lynn Wigglesworth
>> Tioga Co. PA zone 5
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Debbie Moore" <caverdjmoore AT hotmail.com>
>> To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:36 AM
>> Subject: [Market-farming] watermelon variety
>>
>>
>>
>> Hello - My friends have a large greenhouse and are getting ready
>> for their
>> fall/winter CSA. Does anybody have a favorite watermelon variety?
>> It has to
>> be small fruited so it can grow vertically and needs red/pink flesh. I
>> personally prefer an heirloom but they are open to commercial
>> varieties as
>> long as they are not genetically modified. Any suggestions?
>>
>> DebM
>> zone 5
>>
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>
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William H Shoemaker, UI-NRES
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610



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