If you’ve been reading the Blind Pig for a long time you’ll know I LOVE watermelon. You’ll also remember I try to grow them ever summer without much success. Living on the north side of the mountain doesn’t offer the sunshine melons need.
Once we started planting the big garden again, I had high hopes of having a better place to grow watermelons since it has full sun.
The first year we planted them in the wettest area of the garden. There’s a wet weather spring that keeps one end damp year round. That’s were Steve planted the grapes and I wonder if that’s why they do so well. The watermelon didn’t care for it or might be I planted the wrong variety.
Last year we never planted any down there that I can remember. We did plant some up at our house but never got any to eat.
From the small sugar babies to the big rattlesnake watermelons we’ve tried all sorts of varieties over the years. This summer we planted three: Sugar Baby, Moon & Stars, and Oh So Sweet.
No Moon & Stars grew although I thought I seen a small one at some point. Two watermelons grew on the Sugar Baby plants. We ate one and one went bad.
Allen sent us the packet of Oh So Sweet because he thought it might like our garden. The plants grew four watermelons! They are even the size they should be, about eight pounds. And oh my they are sweet. We ate our second one yesterday.
Four watermelons isn’t a huge harvest for most folks but it sure is for us. I’m planning to only plant Oh So Sweet watermelons next year and I can’t wait to see how they do.
Yesterday lots of folks were interested in getting seeds for the Eagle Fork Big Red tomatoes. In case you missed it, here was what Dena shared in the comment section.
“Jack Anderson and I are the only ones who seed them that I’m aware of…he also brings me his leftover seedlings. That flyer is a tad bit outdated. Jack is now nearing 90 so I am trying to help him keep them alive and going.
Those who want to try and seed them may try googling the tomato and may be able to find seeds online since it is a designated heirloom. I grow around 100 for our Master Gardener plant sale in May. They are usually gone in a couple of hours. I usually have quite a few I sell on the side here and there.”
I did a quick search online and found Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center sells the seeds. They are sold out right now, but will likely restock for next year’s growing season. You can see the page here.
Last night’s video: FINALLY Matt’s Taste Test || RARE Heirloom Tomato.
Tipper
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My watermelon story is a sad one also. I don’t have enough success to give them space. Cantaloupe the same story. If I were to be asked point blank if I were a gardener I’d have to say, “Depends on who is asking.” (I don’t give myself much slack.) Anyhow, I also found the Mountain Sustainable Agricultural Center site with “sold out” for the Big Reds. I was interested to search for MSAC because some years ago it was near Berea, Ky where we lived in 1982-83. I exchanged some seeds with Paul Barnett also after we moved here but now MSAC is in North Carolina. Off the subject but muscadines ae now ripe hee in the North Georgia foothills And I have one reort that persimmons are also. I have never yet gotten my nature clock re-adjusted for ripening times here from my Kentucky boyhood. Seems as if maybe I never will. Glad for your finally having some watermelon success. Gardening sure is an ever-learning experience.
Did you ever make watermelon rind pickles? Shotgun Red has a great recipe on you tube.
I never have, but Jim has a great recipe in our cookbook 🙂
PS- Meant to add that I’m so thrilled for you that you grew some that turned out so well, Tipper! Can’t wait to see what next year brings for you!
I LOVE watermelon and also haven’t had luck growing them. Thankfully we have a small local store in town, about 15 minutes from us and they have reliably delicious and sweet watermelon! They even sell the really big, long and seeded watermelons that are hard to come by during part of the summer. They sell a lot of local produce, including heirloom tomatoes! When I was pregnant with my first daughter, she was born in the summer and I craved watermelon and enjoyed my fair share. My family would tease me and ask if I had a baby or a watermelon in there! 🙂
Happy Thursday, Tipper. I hope you, Matt, and all your family are doing well and are staying cool. Here, in the foothills, the temperature has been in the mid-90’s for these first two days of September, and the humidity has been unbearable. I am happy that the watermelon seeds I sent produced a few watermelons and that they were good. I saw them in the Burpee catalog and thought they might do well in your area. I’m glad you’re going to try them again next year. I also want to tell you that I still follow you on BP&A and on CA. I enjoyed watching you and Matt tasting the different varieties of tomatoes on your latest video. I am not able to garden anymore and have had no fresh tomatoes for a wonderful tomato sandwich. Watching your videos brings back many good memories in my mind. Anyway, please pray for me that I may continue to be able to move around and take care of myself. God has been wonderful to me. I have been diagnosed and treated for 2 types of cancer and have had a kidney removed in the past 12 years. My CT scans and blood panels done within the last 2 weeks have shown no trace of cancer. Praise God. I pray for you, Tipper, and for all your family and for Papaw Tony. You, take care, and may God bless you and yours with a wonderful day.
Thank you Allen! I will keep praying for you!!
Oh my goodness…that watermelon photo makes my mouth water! I am glad you have found a watermelon that grows well in your big garden. I am sure those grandsons will be happy if you grow them. All of my grandchildren love watermelon…but then, they pretty much love all fruits. Yesterday, our five year old granddaughter wanted a snack. She asked me if she could have blueberries, grapes, apples, and a piece of cheese! lol.
I’ve never had much luck with melons, watermelon nor cantaloupe, but I still try off an on. Volunteer cantaloupe in my compost pile have been my best ones, to date. Now, about 30 miles northwest of me, in Beardstown, IL on the banks of the Illinois River, melons of all kinds , pumpkins and squash, grow in abandon. It’s a pretty ride and I usually stop for a fish dinner somewhere haha so getting a good melon is pretty easy and enjoyable for me. Loved the tomato tasting. You two sure know how to have a good time(a good time in my book, anyway) Your anniversary celebration was perfect ♡
Congratulations on your watermelon success! May your next year’s crop be even better! Yay! ❤️
After a CTA scan on my brain, my head, as well as an MRI, the doctor still can’t tell, the condition of what possibly could be an aneurysm, he’s calling it an infundibulum for now, he told me there’s another test that could be done, but the last time I saw him he told told me the test that we just done, would reveal the truth, I asked him to tell me about cancer if he saw any cancer in the MRI, and he said he didn’t know anything about that, that he was not the doctor, I had to send his assistant message and ask her about it, just a nurse, she said no masses were seen, praise God for that, I still haven’t got my teeth pulled yet, I need an oral surgeon that has hospital privileges, I finally did get a recommendation from the original dentist, they said I would have to go to Emory in Atlanta, well now I need transportation to do that, God help me in Jesus name, God bless you friends and have a great day, please continue to pray, I love you and God bless you
I’m sorry Norman. Happy there is good news about no signs of cancer! I will keep praying.
I am sorry you don’t have much luck growing watermelons. Your mention of Moon and Stars made me think of my Daddy, they were his favorite. I have ate a lot of different varieties, my favorite is the Charleston Gray, I guess it could be considered a heirloom. One word of caution, too much water will keep watermelons and cantaloupes from being sweet, at least that is what I have always been told or taught. This year I bought a cantaloupe from my sweet potato friend, it was two that grown together, think of a side by side double barrel shotgun. I have seen squash and other things do this but not a cantaloupe. I think this year his watermelons and cantaloupes he grew this year were some of sweetest he has ever grown. He grows the Charleston Gray and other varieties of watermelons but only two varieties of cantaloupes, Athena and Ambrosia.
Yesterday I Googled the tomato seed and found the same information that you did.
I have loved watermelons since I was old enough to eat them. When I was kid my daddy took a notion to raise watermelons to the tune of 90+ acres. This was during my early teenage years. The first year we sold 26 tractor trailer loads of melons. It was very hard work. I can remember harvesting about this time of the year when heat in the fields was extreme and I would sometimes break open deformed melons in the fields this time of years and eat the hearts thereof to quench my thirst. Along about this time we were also farming nearly a hundred acres of sweet potatoes. All of this was very labor intensive and there was much hoeing in those days.