Giant Watermelons

CAROLINA CROSS: This is the largest watermelon variety. All watermelon world records over the past thirty-five years have been set using this variety. This variety just grows and grows. It continues to grow even after ripening. There are noticeable variations within the variety such as length, width, seed color, rind contour, and growth rate. All of the Carolina Cross variations sold by Giant Watermelons are capable of growing watermelons in excess of two hundred pounds each. Buyers can choose seeds from individual watermelons listed by weight or they can choose from pooled seeds of young seed melons. The advantage of using the young random seeds is better germination. A first time grower of this variety would be wise to read the growing instructions before planting.

These Carolina Cross seed watermelons have been planted on the Bright farm for 2011:

• 157 Bright (Open pollinated 148 Bowers) 2004
• 157 Bright Offspring 2006, best plant from a row of 20 plants
• 268 Bright WR 2005 X 157 Bright 2004, 2006 cross
• 211 Westfall (239 Leonard X 224 Westfall) 2009, 224 Westfall is from 249 Bright
• 110 Bright (Open pollinated 242 Carson 1986), 110 is a 262 Carson WR sibling 2008
• 285 Edwards dmg (157 Bright X 168 Johnson) 2008
• 285 Edwards dmg X 81 Bowers (255 Conrad WR X 260 Bright WR) 2009
• 221 Edwards (267 Pleasant X 267 Edwards) 2010
• 267 Edwards ( f 255 Mitchell X m 262 Bright x 248 Bright) 2008
• 195 Bright (Open pollinated 285 Edwards dmg) 2009
• 291 Kent WR (239 Leonard X 157 Bright) 2010,
• 260 Kent (255 Mitchell X 239 Leonard) 2010
• 239 Leonard (197 Leonard X 211 Leonard) 2008
• 255 Mitchell (168 Johnson X 157 Bright) 2007.
• 145 Bowers (232 Carson X 179 Bright), grown on same plant with 148 Bowers
• 246 Bright from 2005, an open pollinated melon with a 64.74 inch girth

BLUE RIND: This variety first appeared in O.F. Lloyd's Cobb Gem field in the 1970's. It apparently started as an accidental cross of a White Seeded Tom Watson and a Cobb Gem. This variety has the rind color of a Black Diamond and the shape of a Cobb Gem. It is a good eating watermelon and can grow to reach as much as one hundred sixty pounds.

HYBRID BLACK DIAMOND: These seeds are from Willhite Black Diamond plants that were hand pollinated with pollen from plants grown from 156-pound Blue Rind seeds. These seeds were produced specifically for growers entering Black Diamond contests.

COLOSSAL CANTALOUPE: Giant Watermelons has sold this line of cantaloupes since the early 1980's. It is a giant cantaloupe that easily reaches twenty-five to thirty pounds. Most of the best ones of this line weigh in the forty pound range. Johnnie Morton of Concord, NC grew a fifty pounder out of this line. This variety grows largest when grown with just one fruit per plant. They respond to boron and need good amounts of water. They rot on the bottoms in wet soil but do fine if rolled onto their sides to keep dry bottom surfaces. Like other vine crops, they do not do well with heavy amounts of nitrogen.