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Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 20 Entries.
Tuesday, January 1 View Page
Will be growing this Kin in 2019!! Happy new Year fellow Growers!
 
Tuesday, January 1 View Page
Also will be bringing 'Fiona' back to life via the 146.5 2015 & the 300.5 2018 offspring! Both double rootstock grafted to AG's & traditional
 
Saturday, January 5 View Page
Closer to grafting some melons seeds w/ AG rootstocks
 
Tuesday, January 8 View Page
The AG rootstock has graduated into the regular mini green house. Always a nice balmy 80 degrees inside the plastic with just the dual 48" reptile/grow bulbs. and I always keep water in there to match the temp ';^). I gave these breathable soil containers another shot of Marks Root Keeper to help aid in growth on the roots for a good graft. At this time I started my second batch of melon scion for the grafts they should jump up fast and be the perfect size I like to graft onto these rootstocks in about 4-5 days that way the rootstcks will have a second true leaf appearing for sure.
 
Thursday, January 10 View Page
Some melon grafting tests of AG root stock via center hole grafting technique less than 24 hrs later. Misted them this morning so I thought I'd post a pic at this stage. The scion is my daughters Mr Hankey aka 226 P Young '18 and the rootstock is my own 660 uow (783 Young'14 uow x 1873 Steil'14)
 
Wednesday, February 13 View Page
Started some Giant Swede 96.5 Hunt '14. Thanks Big Moon for the seeds!Gave them a jump start with Premium Mycorrhizal Inoculant from Wallace Organic Wonder!When I moved them out of the pieces of 2" x 6" pvc the roots were YUGE! I also made sure the roots had contact with the 'WoW' mycorrhizal in the quart pots they went into! When they go into 1 gal pots I will hit them with the WoW Tea Brew!
 
Wednesday, February 13 View Page
Fingers crossed the pic is upright!
 
Monday, March 18 View Page
Melon season has started for me today. I have changed my mind on grafted plants and am going to have both this season. Can't stand by and let everyone else have all the fun! Started 80 rootstock seeds today. Nipped seeds w/ hog teeth nippers & soaked gourd seeds in WoW brew 3 hours and then put between 2 coffee filters (4 sets) & put in the preheated 95 degree germ chamber. Also have starter soil in styro cups in the grow chamber pre-heating.
 
Saturday, March 30 View Page
Grafts are going as planned. I've got 4 of my own 146.5's in the 2nd and final healing stage via double rootstock/center hole method. They are very even, the best I've ever done. I also have my own 300.5's grafted and will be removed from another healing chamber in a few more days. They are looking great! I will start traditional plants in April. Will post some pics a bit later. Paytyn is growing traditional this season.I have had the screen house dismantled because of damage fromlast season and will be somewhat at the mercy of the hail gods.
 
Sunday, March 31 View Page
One day can make or break your melon season and its hardly got going. lol Just went to the basement to check on the grafts and mist.... for some reason the breaker tripped and all the grafted plants are toast/deadified. All my eggs in 1 basket. I think I may have had a heat pad or heater go bad so I think the plants are gone since they are all layin over and ice cold. Probably will be traditional only this season like I started. I got a mess of rootstock in the germ box...AGAIN so we'll see. Its getting late. lol
 
Monday, April 8 View Page
Started my new round of Traditional melon seeds this morning. I'm also grafting Cantaloupe to bushel gourds this season. I probably start my gourd seeds different than most by use large nail trimmers and clipping both ends of the seed huls and then holding the seed closing a vise on it. When cranking the vise closed very slowly I'll hear a pop & I stop. I peel back the huls and there is the 'True' naked seed and I soak for 1 hour then put into cups of seed soil missed with a combination of WoW Mycos & worm poo. I actually peel back my melon seeds too.
 
Monday, April 8 View Page
I also started today the 897 Davis '17(1756 Howell/Jolivette X 1625.5 Gantner).
 
Tuesday, April 9 View Page
All 6 melon patches & the 867 Davis '17 Patch are amended and tilled to a wonderful fluff! Still amazed how this soil smells & feels! We got a couple of freezing nights coming at the end of this week so plants will hit the patches next week!
 
Saturday, April 13 View Page
I'm Concerned the 867 Davis seeds have not germed yet but the other kins I had in same germ chamber @ 90 degrees w/ about 80% humidity popped in 3 days. Checked on the seeds this morning by removing them carefully from cups and they're not rotted but are swelled just haven't thrown out that tap root yet. This is day 5 for them.
 
Thursday, April 18 View Page
Grafted more melon plants yesterday as well as Grafted cantaloupe plants to both bushel gourd, Cushaw and AG rootstock. I've big hopes with the cushaw grafted cantaloupes.
 
Tuesday, May 7 View Page
1st set of grafted melon plants hit the ground yesterday! I have a whole other patch with 4 more traditional melon plants and 1 grafted cantaloupe plant.
 
Tuesday, May 7 View Page
Thanks to Sheriff Dave Davis I'll be growing his 867 this season in the hot patch I grew Scar Face back in 2011-2012.
 
Thursday, May 9 View Page
Wanted to make a note of my 132 Young'15 melons genes: Female - 177.5 Berry(239Leonard x 316Edwards) X Male - 117.5 J.Young(297Kent x 291Kent. I'm going to cross one of my 146.5's and one of my 300.5's with the 132 Young '15. This will have some great genetics in it.
 
Friday, May 31 View Page
2019 season has ended due to too much rain. The patches have had rain standing in them for weeks now and just cannot dry out with the continuing rains. A lot of planning for a 35'x91' polycarbonate greenhouse & new location to grow in for 2020!
 
Wednesday, October 9 View Page
Oops...867 Davis '17
 

 

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