Colorado red-seeded Citron x Watermelon Hybrids

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

So that guy is going to send me some seed for the Kholodok watermelon! Awesome!


But this got me thinking. Most of the pictures found online for Kholidok show it to be a dark rhrind without those distinctive citron markings. But what if like the citron they become more pronounced and yellow over time as it approaches ripeness. I suspect maybe it does.

Therefore, just like my idea before, i think using yellow rhind melons to backcross with citron melons or citron hybrids to be a very clever idea as it would give you an extra set of yellow rhrind ripeness genes. Especially helpful for a watermelon that gets sweeter after a month or more of storage.

[gilbert]

Would the rind color change based on field ripeness, or in storage based on after ripening? Rind color clues would be really helpful with watermelons. It is so disappointing to cut into an unripe melon.

Does you landrace already include such genetics?

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Jan 16, 2018 13:28:39 GMT -5 gilbert said:

Would the rind color change based on field ripeness, or in storage based on after ripening? Rind color clues would be really helpful with watermelons. It is so disappointing to cut into an unripe melon.

Does you landrace already include such genetics?

The citrons have some of this as they get a very very slight yellow color when the other watermelons are ripening. But apparently if you store them about a year until they are ripe they become super yellow.

No. Joseph has the same problem as you. Be is thinking about re-introducing yellow skinned varieties like yellow midget or whatever back into his landrace. I may try to as well.

But i personally don't need to as i have started having great success with the three tendril trick. You find the tendril closest to the watermelon and wait until it is Brown and shriveled. Then wait until the tendril on either side of that one is Brown as well. Then harvest or start to harvest. This does not work for oblong watermelons though. For them perhaps a lot more dry tendrils are needed. Still some sort of yellowing pattern would be helpful.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Can't remember who all i shared early seed for this with, but if you happen to get anything interesting now or in a few seasons or decide to backcross to domestic wwatermelon i'd love to get any seed back. You never know who will get lucky and get that particularly interesting segregate. I suspect that is one reason Joseph is so generous with early seed for some of his projects. Partly in hopes he will get interesting things back.

[gilbert]

I've got some and will be planting in about two weeks. And I'll return seed no matter what.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Planted the other half of citron hybrids in patch 2. Patch 2 was planted on the top tier of the terraced garden in 3 long rows. Patch 1 was planted in the square adjacent to the tomato square patch (that has yet to be planted in). Patch 1 was planted in a 8 pointed "star" pattern (*). Never planted that way before and it's sorta weird, but figured it would help me weed better. We will see.

Lots of watermelon seedlings are up in the main patch planted 3 weeks ago.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

So this summer is a hot one! And with the little time i have my watering has not been great. Most of my citron hybrids in patch 1 have died. And several in patch 2. And Most in the normal watermelon patch. But hopefully with sharing the citron hybrid seeds with others this has helped hedge my bets a little.

[atilgan]

I am sorry to hear that you lost some of your plants. I planted two kholodok watermelons. They were slow to sprout initially but they are growing   healthy.  I have two fruits so far.

[imgrimmer]

I found this ukrainian or russian webshop with Kholodok melon, but it looks different.

[atilgan]

There is another one also named khodolok that looks like a blacktail mountain watermelon. I had the seeds of both but did not have enough space.
I purchased them   from  new.seemnemaailm.ee/vegetables/watermelon-melon?limit=100
but it seems they no longer have the striped one.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Thanks. Yeah, whatever survives survives. I think whatever is left will grow ok. Not sure if any of they kholodok survived or not since they were mixed in, but i should have at least some of the citron hybrids growing something. I think two on the top area were setting flowers, and maybe one trying to set a fruit. But none of the others are that big yet.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Weeded a little today in the citron patch. Spotted a few watermelon fruits forming. Largest was a little bigger than golf ball sized.

Hoping for Good things from these down the line. Saw some bees pollinating the watermelon flowers happily in the cloudy day before and after it rained.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Jul 15, 2018 14:07:29 GMT -5 atilgan said:

I am sorry to hear that you lost some of your plants. I planted two kholodok watermelons. They were slow to sprout initially but they are growing   healthy.  I have two fruits so far.

Keep me in the loop if your kholodok have citron melon patterns and if they do keep/get sweeter over 3-4 months in storage.

[atilgan]

I lost one of the melons. I harvested the other one today. I wish I had seen your message earlier. I was planning to store it but then I changed my mind and went for  saving the seeds. The citron pattern is not that apparent. The taste was wonderful so  I will definitely plant it again. I have never grown storage watermelons. Are they supposed to be hard fleshed? If that is the case I do not see much storage potential in this since it is already tasty and juicy. I can share some of the seeds (not isolated) or the original seeds (there are a few) if interested.

[keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.)]

Ya, the citron melon pattern is very weak if present at all in that strain. Probably not really kholodok or just mostly domestic genetics. Having never grown it before myself i don't really know.

The guy from Belarus said storage melons get sweeter the longer they store (3-5 months). This would mimic the yellow rhind ripening of citron melons. But i don't think the flesh is hard.

Theoretically citron melon hybrids will start out with hard white flesh like the citron melon parents. In time that may change. I would venture that you could get segregating ranges of pectin percentages sorting out.