Is it just a bad year for watermelon?

[sildanani]

I haven't attempted growing watermelon, so I buy it from different stores and markets. (But I really want to grow them.) Each one has just been bland/mediocre this year. Has anyone else been experiencing this.

[akanonui]

It's pretty early for US grown watermelons, so it might be out of our hands. I have only 2 plants this year, both of the regular red variety, but last year I grew Cream of Saskatchewan watermelons and they were really tasty. They had the regular watermelon taste but with a lemony citrus kick, plus they matured quickly and weren't too large.The only reason I didn't grow them again this year is because I was too lazy to buy them early in the season online so they were out of stock when I was ready, so I just picked up regular watermelon seedlings from my local Lowes.

[bsbullie]

The Florida watermelon season peaked and is waning but the fruits I was buying from the central a nd southern growing cities were consistently outstanding.

[sildanani]

It's pretty early for US grown watermelons, so it might be out of our hands. I have only 2 plants this year, both of the regular red variety, but last year I grew Cream of Saskatchewan watermelons and they were really tasty. They had the regular watermelon taste but with a lemony citrus kick, plus they matured quickly and weren't too large.The only reason I didn't grow them again this year is because I was too lazy to buy them early in the season online so they were out of stock when I was ready, so I just picked up regular watermelon seedlings from my local Lowes.

Is Cream of Saskatchewan an early bearer? They look quite pretty! I'd like to propagate some yellow-orange types like Siberian or orangelo. Or an early bearer such as golden midget. Probably too late to start growing now unless I keep them in the greenhouse to extend the season.

[Triloba Tracker]

We normally buy a lot of watermelons from our farmer's market. Early on, they are trucked-in from Alabama or points further south.

This year, however, we have not really bought any because I am growing Sugar Baby, Orangeglo, and Ali Baba. Also growing Boule D'or and regular honeydews.

I am growing on a trellis and it's proven difficult for me to support the melons. I've had 3 slip out of their slings and crash. 2 of them were immature and inedible, but one (Sugar Baby) was actually really good. I still think it wasn't quite ready and would've been even better if left.

Anyway, I don't think it's a bad year. Not sure there's such a thing really for watermelons. There's just a lot of variability in my experience.

[akanonui]

It's pretty early for US grown watermelons, so it might be out of our hands. I have only 2 plants this year, both of the regular red variety, but last year I grew Cream of Saskatchewan watermelons and they were really tasty. They had the regular watermelon taste but with a lemony citrus kick, plus they matured quickly and weren't too large.The only reason I didn't grow them again this year is because I was too lazy to buy them early in the season online so they were out of stock when I was ready, so I just picked up regular watermelon seedlings from my local Lowes.

Is Cream of Saskatchewan an early bearer? They look quite pretty! I'd like to propagate some yellow-orange types like Siberian or orangelo. Or an early bearer such as golden midget. Probably too late to start growing now unless I keep them in the greenhouse to extend the season.

Yes, Cream of Saskatchewan is an early bearer. The first fruit ripened probably late August, the last around late September, but I started them early indoors anyway. I tried Golden Midget the year before but they got eaten to shreds by squash beetles. Next year I'm trying Navajo winter melons and a few other watermelons of the different colored varieties. I'm hoping they will fruit nicely without the pest factor.