Philippine Watermelon variety unkown

[Soltane]

hello everyone
many weeks ago I went to a party and there was quite a large Filipino gathering AND all the women went out to an Asian shop near asply in Nottingham
and came back with this very big water melon of course she ate the melon ..I saved the seeds planted six of them and 2 have germinated
with a little TLC I could mature these plants however I don't know the variety of this fruit
don't even know if they have germinated to late all I can say is the fruit is heavy and about the size of a football
any ideas what variety might be? also I have been told the plants trial along the ground ,be good if I could get fruit this year

[Terpe]

Here's a link that might be interesting for you

I actually managed to grow some watermelons one year after a complete failure the previous year.
I had trouble getting fruits to 'set'. My neighbour taught me how to give nature a helping hand by using a soft cosmetic brush to 'hand pollinate'. Had a bumper crop that year that everyone said was the tastiest watermelons they'd ever had.

Here's the method to use. You'll need to do this early in the mornings. Before heading off to work.

The watermelon has female and male flowers.
The female flower has a small bulb just underneath its flower. The male flower doesn't have anything.
Using the soft brush gently pick up some pollen from inside a male flower. You'll actually see the small yellow grains of pollen on the brush hairs.
You now need to very gently transfer that pollen to the inside of the female flower.
The female flower will actually closes its petals after a few hours to make sure it's no longer available for pollination.
With a day or two the female bulb will have grown a little. Means success.

If the female flower hasn't been pollinated within 24 hours of opening, it will just shrivel and drop off.
Unfortunately the male and female flowers don't come at the same time. The male ones come first. So the more plants you have to flower the
the better the chance of having male and female flowers available together for pollination.

[Soltane]

hello and thanks for your reply since writing the article my wife Marie tells me that its a Mexican water melon not a Filipino one
a little disappointed was I but nonetheless was pleased that 2 of them germinated from seed
I know how to grow marrows and you do the same thing as these water melons you have to mate them which you have already mentioned
thank for the link was interesting and will take your advice ,will let you know later in the year if they have beared any fruit

[SimonH]

If the female flower hasn't been pollinated within 24 hours of opening, it will just shrivel and drop off.
Unfortunately the male and female flowers don't come at the same time . The male ones come first .

Edited that for you


Typical man

[Terpe]

Edited that for you


Typical man

Psychological sublimation
Glad you enjoyed it.

[fred]

This is the type we get here..
We did try to grow some but failed.. The fruit got to about 5 inches wide and then dropped off the vine..
No idea why.

[fred]

Next time,I might try and grow these..Easier to slice.

[Terpe]

Next time,I might try and grow these..Easier to slice.

Easier to pack too

[fred]

Peter.. They are grown like that for that reason..Far more melon and less air in the container!
Brilliant.