Jim Johnson Jr. has put together a list of his favorite Pumpkin and Watermelon varieties. These seeds are in-stock for next day shipping. Please note message about Watermelon Blotch Disease before ordering.
TPF186 Lady Godiva "Naked Seed" Pumpkin This is an improved strain of the Styrian Hulless of Austria that is grown for it's nutritious seeds. Large, green/gold pumpkins up to 20 lbs. on strong, large-leaved vines. Grown for the outstanding, large, naked (hulless) seeds which are nutritious, delicious raw or roasted, and can also be pressed for a high-quality oil. Use flesh for pies, soups, casseroles. This has decorative qualities, as well withits mottled yellow & green skin. 120 days. Package of 10 seeds $3.95 Package of 250 seeds $39.95 Package of 1,000 seeds $124.95
TPF183 Snack Jack Pumpkin Naked hull-less seeds produced inside these pumpkins make delicious healthy snacks when roasted. This variety has three uses--it's the perfect shape for Halloween carving up, its cooked flesh is terrific, and the roasted naked seeds taste like a combination of sunflowers and peanuts. They're high in zinc and amino acids. Round, bright orange, lightly ribbed pumpkins weigh 2 to 2-1/2 pounds. Each compact vine normally sets on about 6 to 10 fruits. 90 days. Package of 5 seeds $3.95
G150 Bright Red French Pumpkin Most unusual!. A brilliant bright red pumpkin that is shaped flat and resembles a bright red cheese wheel more than a pumpkin. The 12-16 lb. fruits produce a sweet orange flesh that is great for pumpkin pies. A definite must for fall decorations. Package of 5 seeds $1.95
1A232 Cotton Candy Pumpkin A new Rupp white pumpkin with good handles. This blend produces a range of pumpkins between 5 and 12 pounds. Cotton Candy is excellent for painting. Store the fruit in the dark to maintain the best white color. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
1A233 Touch of Autumn Hybrid F1 Pumpkin Another new selection from Rupp. Touch of Autumn is a hybrid that has excellent handles and is just the right size for boxing and it is mildew tolerant. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
1A234 Gold Fever Pumpkin Gold Fever is a pumpkin that has exhibited excellent yields, uniformity and outstanding handles in the size just right for shippers and home gardeners. A superior handled pumpkin to replace Trick or Treat and Spirit. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
1A235 Jack-B-Quik Pumpkin Jack-B-Quik is a more ribbed selection of Jack-B-Little with smaller, taller and darker orange fruit. This is the strain that growers prefer. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
VS370 Alantic GiantBest for growing giant pumpkins. Fruits of 400 pounds and over have been harvested from these plants. Round pumpkins with bright orange color and small seed cavity. Flesh is meaty and great for pie! Package of 5 seeds $1.95
VS380 Trick or Treat Excellent jack-o-lantern pumpkin, easy to carve. The color is bright orange and fruits weigh about 10-15 lbs. Semi-bush type that is not invasive. Seeds can be roasted without hulling. Package of 10 seeds $1.95
2385 Cornfield Pumpkin A top choice for use as both carving pumpkins and for fall decorations. Perfectly shaped 12-15 pound fruits are 12-16" wide and 10-12" tall. Very sturdy stems rarely break off. Pumpkins stay in excellent condition until Halloween and beyond. Traditionally grown by farmers as a dual crop with their corn. 90 days. Package of 10 seeds $2.25
VS390 Lumina Has smooth white skin that makes it ideal for autumn decorating. White skin will last for weeks as a jack-o-lantern compared to days for orange skinned fruits. Fruits weigh about 18-20 pounds. Package of 10 Seeds $1.95
VC400 HalloweenBest for pies and canning. Very good carving pumpkin averaging about 7-8 pounds. Sweet, fine grained flesh. Package of 20 seeds 1.95
VC401 Miniature Ornamental Pumpkin Excellent novelty items for fall decorations. Small baseball size pumkings on normal vine. Bright orange. Package of 5 seeds $1.50
JM101 Aspen 41 Hybrid 85-90 days. Aspen is a very attractive, large fruited pumpkin with rich orange color. The stems are large and sturdy. Fruit grow on a vigorous, semi-bush plant. Average weight 20 pounds. Aspen stores and ships well. 15 Seeds $2.95
JM102 Autumn Gold Hybrid All American Winner. Early, 7-10 pound pumpkins that start to color gold, turning to deep orange as they mature. An excellent variety, particularly for short season. 90 days. 15 Seeds $2.50
JM103 Baby Boo 95 days. (Mini White Pumpkin) "Baby Boo" makes a nice companion to "Jack-Be-Little". Fruit average 2-3 inches in width, edible white flesh. Fruit shape is variable. Great for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas decorating. Harvest before frost, pull while vines are still vigorous for white color as stressed plants will cause the fruit to be ivory color. Fruit can be stored 12-16 months if properly cured. 15 Seeds $2.95
JM104 Baby Pam 100 days A miniature pumpkin weighing 4 pounds, and measuring 5 inches high by 5 inches wide. Deep orange color and sturdy handle. Good for painting, carving, pies. 15 Seeds $2.95
JM106 Big Max One of the largest pumpkins, often over 100 pounds with sufficient moisture, space and fertilizer. Bright yellow-orange flesh 3-4" thick, suitable for pies. 120 days. 15 Seeds $2.50
JM107 Big Moon 110 days. Mammoth giant is popular for Halloween. Weighs up to 250 lbs. Good orange color. Vines not invasive. Excellent mammoth variety. 15 Seeds $2.50
JM109 Cushaw Green Striped 110 days. Average size 17 x 10 inches. Long curved neck, rind is cream white mottled with irregular green stripes, smooth and medium soft. Pale yellow flesh is sweet, moist, fibrous and coarse. Solid in the neck and medium thick in the bulbous end. Popular type, prolific, used for pies, baking and for stock feed. 15 Seeds $2.50
JM110 Dill's Atlantic Giant 120 Days Grow for giant pumpkins. Fruits more than 500 pounds not uncommon. Fruit is round to flattened round, ribbed, with striking bright orange color. Seed cavity is small. Flesh is meaty, makes great pies. 15 Seeds $2.95
JM112 Ghostrider Deep round shape of dark orange. Hard and ridged exterior with an excellent black-dark green handle. Fruit size averages 15-30 pounds and averaging 12-16" in diameter. Ideal for jack-o-lanterns or processing. 115 days. 15 Seeds $2.50
JM114 Howden 90 days. Excellent yielder of medium-large, deep orange fruits, ribbed, with hard shells. Seeds provided by NE Seeds. 15 Seeds $2.50
JM115 Jack-O-Lantern Firm, medium globed, orange skinned with yellow-orange flesh. Averages 8-10 pounds. Needs space and fertile soil. Cut from vine-DO NOT PULL.. Excellent for pies. 100 days. 15 Seeds $2.50
JM116 Lumina 110 days The smooth, white surface of this unusual pumpkin makes it ideal for autumn decorating. Fruits are 18-20 pounds with bright orange flesh; will last for weeks instead of days. 15 Seeds $2.75
JM117 Mammoth Gold 105 days. 20-25 pounds average, nearly round, smooth, faintly ribbed, golden orange. Orange flesh. Some fruit have grown in excess of 40 pounds, under controlled conditions. Used for novelty and for pies. 15 Seeds $2.75
JM118 Munchkin 100 days. Munchkin is very good for fall decoration with other pumpkins and gourds, with added interest when it is carved. Fruit average 3-4 inches in diameter and have a flattened appearance with a scalloped bright orange skin. Flesh is orange-yellow. 15 Seeds $3.95
JM119 Oz Hybrid 105 days. Oz is ideal for painting, ultra smooth shell with faint sutures. Fruit weighs 4-5 lbs., and are usually 6 inches in diameter, round shape. They have sturdy, dark green handles. Oz has the precious yellow gene which colors the fruit up early. It matures from yellow to bright orange. Plants semibush type, quite vigorous. 15 Seeds $2.95
JM121 Small Sugar Outstanding for processing and pumpkin pies. The fruit is 6-8" in diameter and weighs about 6 pounds. The flesh is thick and sweet. 110 days. 15 Seeds $1.95
JM124 Wizard Hybrid 115 days. Wizard is very smooth and has deep orange color. Weight 10-12 lbs., average diameter 10-12 inches, round shape. Wizard has the precocious yellow gene and matures from yellow to orange without a green stage. Semi-bush plant. Appears frost tolerant. Good yield. 15 Seeds $2.95
1A102 Fairytale 100 Days. This is a French heirloom variety. The 15 lb. fruit are heavily scalloped or ribbed and mature to an unusual brownish-orange color. A unique pumpkin for Halloween. 10 Seeds $1.95
1A103 Long Island Cheese 108 days. Long Island Heirloom. Medium-large, flattened, medium-ribbed, suggesting a wheel of cheese. Smooth, tan skin. Deep orange, moderately sweet flesh for pie. Long storage. 10 Seeds $1.95
1A104 Pump-Ke-Mon F1 Unique Little Pumpkin. 100 Days. This mini-pumpkin features orange and green stripes on a white background for a unique look that will be great for fall decorations. Many 1-2 lb. fruit are set on a compact, space saving vine and have a distinctive flattened shape with slight to medium ribbing. A sure hit for crafts and amazing children. 10 Seeds $1.95
1A105 Lil' Ironsides Lil' Ironsides is a mini pumpkin, 1.5-2 pounds, 6" wide by 4" high, that features a hard shell that can increase shelf life dramatically. The hard shell makes this variety ideal for face painting and ornamental arrangements, but don't expect to carve it! Lil' Ironsides has a long storage life and tolerates Fusarium and Phytophthora fruit rots. This variety has a smooth exterior with dark orange color that resists fading. Good storage makes it ideal for ornamental and face painting 10 Seeds $1.95
1A197 Jack-O-Lite ( Bright Orange Variety ) Seeds of Change Original. 6-12 lbs. fruit. These little treasures are perfect for carving and pie baking. Produces two basic shapes: round to slightly flattened or tall and elongated. Both are finely ribbed. (90 days) 10 Seeds $2.75
1A157 Jarrahdale Uniquely blue-skinned pumpkin, usually weighs 7-8 lbs. with a 10 inch diameter. Excellent quality flesh. 95 days. 10 Seeds $2.95
1A158 Orange Smoothie (5-9 lb.) AAS Winner. Semi-bush plants produce small to medium sized orange fruits. Strong handles, smooth skin. 93 days. 10 Seeds $2.95
1A160 Jack Be Little Miniature pumpkin about baseball size. Used for ornamental purposes. 95 days. 10 Seeds $3.95
FA12 Gooligan F1 PMT Pumpkin Jack B. Little hybrid, a miniature decorative pumpkin. White mottled colors. Excellent ornamental for fall sales. Vines are vigorous with excellent cover and produce high numbers of fruit. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
FA41 Hooligan F1 PMT Pumpkin Multicolored fruit have a white, green and orange coloring. Compact plant produces many fruit with strong stems. 90 days. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
FA14 Bumpkin F1 PMT Pumpkin Orange in color, semi-bush. Fruits are a little larger than Jack Be Little with strong green handles. Makes an excellent display with Gooligan. Excellent disease package. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
FA15 Speckled Hound F1 Hybrid Pumpkin Speckled Hound Pumpkin is the perfect addition to ornamental winter squash displays. This great tasting pumpkin exhibits light to medium color with green to blue-green splotches. Dense flesh and strong foliage gives fruit protection yet plant is open for easy harvest. Tolerant to Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus. 95-100 days. Package of 5 seeds $2.35
1A161 Wee-B-Little 95 Days. Tiny, round pumpkin. Remarkably miniature, about the size of a baseball, avg. 3-3 1/2"" diam. and 10-14 oz. Its shape is like a normal pumpkin. Smooth, bright orange rind. Semi-bush plants for close spacing. A nice job indeed by breeder Paul Yorty. 1999 All-American Selections winner. Avg. yield: 8 fruits per plant. 10 Seeds $2.95
1A162 Big Rock Hybrid 98 Days. Big, round Jack O'Lantern variety bred by Johnny's Seeds. A new big pumpkin with blocky shape. 10 Seeds $2.95
1A163 Tom Fox 110 Days. Halloween type with great handles. Another great selection from Johnny's Seeds. Developed by New Hampshire farmer Tom Fox. Medium-sized, avg. 12-20 lb., pumpkins have a deep orange color and big, hunky, strong, dark green handles. They grow on long vines in a nice variety of shapes and are heavy for their size. Johnny's Selected Seeds makes available this grower-developed, handsome pumpkin. Avg. yield: 3-4 fruits/plant. PVP = Plant Variety Protected. Unauthorized marketing of seeds for this variety is prohibited. 10 Seeds $2.95
VC800 Florida Giant Smooth thick rind is very dark with bluish cast. Bears large, round fruits weighing up to fifty pounds. Bright red flesh is sweet and delicious. Cannot ship to SC Package of 10 seeds $1.95
VJ805 Orange Fleshed Watermelon A very sweet melon with bright orange flesh. Produces medium large ice box size melons. Skin is green with dark green stripes. 80 days. Cannot ship to SC Package of 15 seeds $1.95
JM125 AllsweetA long striped melon with dark green stripes and firm red flesh. Tough rind that ships well. 25-30 pound fruits. 90 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM126 Big Crimson A good shipping melon, also a heavy producer. Fruits will average 30 pounds or so. Light and dark green stripes, sweet red flesh. 90 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM127 Black Diamond Red Flesh 40 pound fruits with dark green rind, sweet red flesh. Good shipper. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM128 Black Diamond Yellow Flesh 40 pound fruits with dark green rind, sweet yellow flesh. Good shipper. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM129 Calsweet An oblong blocky melon with light green stripes. A good shipping melon producing 25 pound fruits in 92 days. Firm red flesh. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM130 Charleston Grey 133 Large, grey green fruits of 28-35 lbs. Dark red flesh. 85 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM131 Chubby Gray A short, blocky melon weighing 25-30 pounds with gray rind and firm, sweet red flesh. 90 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 seeds $2.50
JM132 Giant Cobb Gem Produces giant watermelons of 125 pounds or more. Sweet crimson flesh.100 days. Kolb's Gem Watermelon, which is also known under the names of Cobb's Gem, State Fair and American Champion Watermelon, is a 19th century exhibition quality watermelon that produces huge watermelons weighing beyond 100 pounds in weight. This wonderful giant watermelon was originally developed by Reuben F. Kolb of Alabama in the 1880's. Kolb's Gem was first introduced to the public at large by D.M. Ferry and Co. in 1885 and was also recorded by the Nebraska Seed Company of Omaha, Nebraska in their annual catalogue in 1898. Its first documented appearance under the name of "Cobb's Gem" ocurred after the turn of the century when it was exhibited at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missourri in 1904. Following this, the variety came to be the watermelon of choice for exhibition growers and also picked up the names "State Fair Watermelon" and "American Champion Watermelon". Cannot ship to SC 10 Seeds $2.50
1A140 Cream of Saskatchewan 82 days. This white heirloom watermelon is from Russia and is well adapted to the New England and northern growing season. The fruits weigh 4-10 lbs and are crisp and sweet. Very different, everyone should try this melon. Cannot ship to SC 15 seeds $2.50
JM133 Crimson Sweet An attractive light green melon with dark green stripes. About 25 lbs. Firm, deep red flesh. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM135 Florida Giant Smooth thick rind is very dark with bluish cast. Bears large, round fruits weighing up to fifty pounds. Bright red flesh is sweet and delicious. 90 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM138 Georgia Rattlesnake An old time favorite with delicious pink flesh. Vigorous vines produce 30-40 pound fruits with tiger stripes. Limited supply of Seeds. Cannot ship to SC 10 Seeds $3.75
JM140 Jim's Orange Fleshed Watermelon A very sweet melon with bright orange flesh. Produces medium large ice box size melons. Skin is green with dark green stripes. 80 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM142 Long Crimson A thick, blocky melon in the 25 pound range with light green to dark green stripes and a tough rind for shipping. Red, sweet, crisp flesh. 85 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM144 Moons and Stars A good keeper melon, with a dark green exterior speckled with yellow spots and blotches. Sweet, dark pink flesh. 100 days. Cannot ship to SC 5 Seeds $3.50
JM145 Orangeglo Sweet, crisp, flavorful orange fleshed melon that can reach 50 lbs. Light green rind with darker green stripes. Good market melon. 85 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM148 Stars and Stripes Hybrid A uniquely striped hybrid with a very sweet, crisp, firm flesh. Cannot ship to SC 5 Seeds $3.95
JM149 Sugar Baby Most popular ice box melon. One of the sweetest small melons around. Sweet tender, red flesh. Good shipping melon. 6-10 pound fruits. 84 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM150 Sugarlee Medium size, striped melon with delicious red flesh. Good shipper, 90 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM151 Yellow Belly Black Diamond Dark green flesh except where it lies on the ground, which turns yellow. Can produce fruit in the 65-70 pound range. Sweet bright red flesh. 90 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
JM152 Kleckley's Sweet A very sweet melon weighing 25-30 pounds. Oblong shape. Old time favorite. 85 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
3136 King & Queen Have watermelon for Christmas! 10 to 15 pound melons have a hard rind and will store for several months after harvest. Rind is pale green with faint stripes. Flesh is pinkish-red, crisp and flavorful. This is the best "keeper watermelon" that we are aware of. Rare and hard to find! 5 Seeds $2.95
1A222 Chris Cross A great family heirloom from Montrose, Iowa. Thought to be lost from cultivation, but preserved by SSE for future generations. The result of a cross between Hawksbury and Dixie Queen made by Chris Christenson in 1950. Reliable yields of 15-20 pound fruits. 85-90 days. Package of 10 seeds $2.50
1A221 Melitopolski Round 10-12" fruits with sweet red flesh and alternating light and dark green stripes. Early ripening variety from Volga River region of Russia, an area that has long been famous for melons. Piled high by Moscow street vendors each summer. Reddish brown seeds. 90-100 days. Package of 10 seeds $2.50
1A092 Desert King Yellow Flesh Once the plants are out of the ground they go right on growing. It is round to slightly oblong. Its rind is a light pea green color. The flesh is deep rich yellow with grayish black seeds. It is very sweet and tender. Its rind is medium thin and tough enough to stand hauling well. It is a medium late variety, coming along in about 85 days after the planting. It has the ability to lie on the vine a month or so after ripening and still hold its good qualities and remain free from sunburn. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
1A093 Dixielee 90 days. Dixielee is a round striped watermelon with black seed, very red flesh and good taste. Even prior to full maturity the flesh is an attractive red color. The rind is very smooth, hard and tough. Dixielee has vigorous vine growth, throughout the season. Average size 20 to 30 pounds. Good shipper. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
1A094 Willhite's Tendergold 80 days. The rind is dark green with a mottled stripe of a lighter green. It has a very uniform shape and size; also it has a much tougher rind than our other orange and yellow varieties, which makes it a much better shipping melon. The sweet yellow flesh turns more orange as it matures and the taste improves with time. Large black seed. A few days earlier than Orange Flesh Tendersweet and will last 7-20 days longer after ripening. Average weight 22 to 28 pounds. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
1A095 Verona 80 days. An outstanding variety. We recommend Verona over all the Black Diamond types. It is a very uniform, productive and perhaps the earliest and best tasting of all the True Black Diamond types. The thin dark green rind is very tough and smooth. Good shipper. The attractive red flesh is very firm, sweet and tasty. Large black seed. Average 30 pounds and with controlled planting or thinning could average up to 40 pounds. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
1A097 Mickeylee 72-78 days. Mickylee is a small (ice-box) melon weighing 8-15 pounds. Small black seed. The rinds are tough and have a long shelf life, a good shipper. Red flesh with firm texture, very flavorful. When cutting the melon few visible seed, makes a very attractive melon. Small seed. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
1A099 Yellow Crimson 80 days. This melon is a round striped melon, very similar to the Crimson Sweet in appearance. It has a large black seed with a bright yellow flesh, very good taste. In size it would compare to Crimson Sweet, but perhaps would be a few days earlier. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
1A165 Blacktail Mountain Seeds from Seed Savers Exchange. Developed by SSE member Glenn Drowns when he lived in northern Idaho, where summer nights average 43 degrees F. Round 9" dark green fruits weigh 6-12 pounds. Sweet, juicy, crunchy, scarlet flesh. Does well in hot, humid climates too. Reliable crops. 70-75 days. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $2.50
1A167 Yellow Doll F1 Hybrid 68 Days. This extra early hybrid will have your customers raving about its very sweet yellow flesh. The semi-compact vines produce round to oval medium green melons with dark green stripes, averaging 5 to 7 pounds each. Cannot ship to SC 10 Seeds $2.95
RDP020 Congo ( Burpee Seed Company Seeds ) 1950 All-America Selections Winner! 95 days. Citrullus lanatus. Plant produces good yields of 35 lb watermelons. It has very tough rind that will resist bruising. This variety has very delicious sweet red flesh. Suitable for home garden and market growers. Disease Resistant 25 Seeds $2.25
FA56 Picnic Seeds made available by SSE. Nice 8-12 pound fruits with sweet red flesh and small black seeds. Bred by Asgrow Seed Company in 1972; although a recent introduction, no commercial sources exist besides the seed SSE offers. Peacock type with more uniform flesh quality. Resistant to fusarium wilt. 90-100 days. 10 Seeds $2.25
1A173 White Wonder Beautiful, snow white flesh is so pale it is almost transparent! The small 3-8 lb icebox-sized fruit are round. The flavor is unique, fruity and so delicious. This refreshing variety is perfect for gourmet growers wanting to target high-class markets. They will add contrast to any display and are sure to bring attention at farmers markets. White-fleshed watermelons were common in the 1800's and Henry Fields was still selling seeds for a white-fleshed variety in the 1970's. But due to corporate agriculture, these genetic treasures are about to be lost This will be a shame as white-fleshed varieties date back hundreds of years and were developed in Africa from wild strains. This early variety is not for shipping as they crack easy, but you will enjoy their unique crispness fresh from the garden. Cannot ship to SC 10 Seeds $3.95
A basic understanding of genetics is helpful to understand how a seedless watermelon is created. Standard watermelon cultivars are diploid, and contain two sets of chromosomes, designated 2X. Seedless watermelons are triploid (3X) which causes them to be sterile, or seedless. The triploid seeds are created by crossing a normal diploid (2X) melon as the pollinator with a tetraploid (4X) parent. Each parent contributes half its respective chromosomes, 1X from one parent and 2X from the other. Maintaining the tetraploid parental line by treating seedlings with colchicine is the most difficult part of producing seed for the triploid watermelon. Because of the difficulty in maintaining the parental lines and the usual practices needed to produce hybrid seed, the seed for seedless melons is quite expensive.
The triploid seed has a thicker seed coat than a standard diploid watermelon seed. Because of this and the expense of the seed, most triploid melons are started as transplants. Germination of the triploid seed is not as good as the standard cultivars even under the best of conditions. This should be considered when ordering seeds and planning production.
The following techniques will help ensure success in growing seedless cultivar transplants: Use a light potting mix for good aeration. Do not over water. Both practices underscore the need to maintain good aeration around the germinating seed. All watermelons need more oxygen during germination than many other seeds. Transplant producers have found seedless watermelons to be even more sensitive to soil saturation than regular watermelon seeds. If only a few seeds are involved, nick the rounded end of the thicker triploid seed (end away from the embryo) to increase the rate of water uptake and speed seed germination. Seedless watermelon should be germinated at 85°F until at least 30-40% of the seedlings have emerged. Maintain soil temperatures at 70-80°F after germination. Watermelon is a warm-season plant of tropical origin. Seed germination and plant growth are best at warmer temperatures. Transplants should be 3 to 4 weeks old and have 2-3 true leaves when planted in the field. Older transplants suffer significant transplant shock. Due to the demands of the triploid seed and high seed costs per seed, direct seeding in the field is not economically feasible, even with precision seeding equipment. Breeders are trying to develop seedless cultivars with better germination and seedling vigor, but until then, transplants are the best approach. Triploid transplants are very sensitive to cold injury and other stresses. Consequently, neither early germination nor seedling development are as vigorous as standard diploid seedlings. Once established, however, triploid watermelon seedlings show vigorous vegetative growth. A little extra care goes a long way toward insuring success in early yield and quality. Plan for transplants to go to the field when soil temperatures average 65°F. Growers in colder regions recommend floating row covers to reduce wind stress on the young transplants. Floating row covers also serve to warm the air and soil around the covered melons. Under stress conditions, some hard, black seeds may develop even in the "seedless" watermelon. Seedless cultivars do have small, soft, white seeds, which most frequently occur on the fruit in the crown set. You should consider the melons as "virtually seedless" because of the occasional hard, black seed. Irrigation is highly recommended. Watermelons should never suffer water stress. Because of their high water requirement, yields will be greatly reduced if they experience water stress during fruit formation or development. If necessary, use irrigation during stand establishment, as well as during fruit development. Seedless watermelons are triploid and are self infertile and therefore a standard diploid cultivar is required for pollination. Usually a cultivar is selected with a similar or earlier maturity as the seedless melon, but with a different rind color or pattern so the seedless melons are easily selected out of the field. The pollinator cultivar can also be transplanted or directly seeded into the field one or two weeks earlier than the seedless cultivar to insure an adequate supply of pollen when female flowers develop on the triploid melon plants. A row of the pollinator cultivar should be planted for every two to three rows of triploid watermelon. Adequate bee activity is critical for successful pollination. We ship pollinator seeds and complete instructions with each triploid seed order.
JMS02 Sugar Slice 85 days. Sugar Slice is a very attractive Crimson Sweet type seedless watermelon with an excellent red flesh. Slightly oval shaped, fruit weight is typically 15 to 18 lbs. Sugar Slice is an early maturing variety with the ability to produce large concentrated fruit sets. May contain an occasional seed. Pollinator required. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $24.50 ( Pollinator seeds included in price )
JMS03 Sunny 85 days. Sunny has a yellow gold flesh and a very sweet taste. Striped, tough rind similar in color to Allsweet. Round, oval shape, averages 16-20 lbs. Tolerant to Fusarium Wilt. May contain an occasional seed. Pollinator required. Cannot ship to SC 25 Seeds $24.50 ( Pollinator seeds included in price )
New! Jim's Plant Growth Stimulator for Watermelons. Jim has developed this product through years of testing on his farms. This natural, environmentally safe solution will produce amazing results, producing vigorous plants and larger fruits. We highly recommend you do you own trial test ( i.e. spray one plant with solution, next to a plant not sprayed with solution over the length of a growing season ) to fully appreciate how effective this product is. This is a two part water soluble product that should be mixed 14.75cc of each part ( we provide measuring spoon with solution ) to one gallon of water and sprayed onto the foliage of the watermelon leaves. It contains Food Grade H202, ( produced by nature ) Gibberellic Acid ( a natural plant growth hormone ), B1 and other plant vitamins, plant hormones, ( made from natural sources ) micronutrients including Boron (B), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Sulfur (S) and Zinc (Zn) plus a natural detergent based "sticker" that makes the product stick to the leaves until absorbed by the plant.This mix will make 16 gallons of solution. JPAG02 Plant Growth Stimulator for Watermelons $14.95
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