Sweet Watermelon Favorites With Old-Fashioned Flavor
Watermelons grown from heirloom seeds provide the sweet juicy taste of summer in every bite.
Anyone who hasn't ever tasted a home grown melon, and has only tried store bought hybrids will enjoy a flavor sensation with the first bite.
These hybrids were created to accommodate commercial growers, so they travel well but lost flavor in the process.
While they may last slightly longer than the ones grown in a home garden, which is partly due to having been picked before they were fully ripe.
Anyone who has enjoyed a watermelon grown from heirloom seeds knows the flavor of hybrids fails miserably in comparison.
When growing heirloom watermelon seeds at home, gardeners are able to spot which melons are nearing their peak.
By picking them at the perfect stage, the inside flesh will be crisp and sweet, while the tender heart literally bursts with flavor.
Each variety will feature different seeds that can be saved and planted the next year.
In comparison hybrid seeds may grow, but will revert to the characteristics of one of the parent plants, and generally it seems they choose the worst one.
Every heirloom melon strain is slightly different than the others.
Some are sweet, others feature fewer seeds, flesh color or size.
Choosing strains which are resistant to diseases like fusarium and anthracnose, such as the following is important for organic gardening.
One of the sweetest and most popular with home gardeners is the Organic Crimson Sweet.
This melon contains an average of 12% sugar to make it a mouthwatering delight.
The vines spread up to approximately 12 feet with each melon weighing between 20 -25 lbs.
A near relative that holds longer and can handle traveling, although you won't want to give them away, are grown from Organic Allsweet Watermelon Seeds.
Besides the deep red flesh most people associate with homegrown melons, variations exist.
Some will have a pinker tone, while others can be yellow.
The Yellow Gem Sweet is a rare heirloom variety of Crimson sweet which offers juicy sweetness in every bite.
Golden Honey watermelon seeds offer a unique rind that turns golden when it is time to be picked.
This is a smaller variety than most, growing to approximately 7-8 inches.
Another rare seed find is the Organic Moon and Stars melon.
Until 1981 it was thought to be extinct, however a single farmer was found who was still growing it, and he donated seeds for preservation.
Just as the Yellow Gem Sweet, these have finally been grown in sufficient quantities that a few are available for home gardeners.
A good lesson to take from this story is that home gardeners who have passed down seeds for generations can possibly save an entire strain.
Heirloom Jubilee watermelon seeds have been popular for years with home gardeners.
This is in part due to their disease resistance, but also because of their delicious sweet taste and immense size.
The melon has the deep red crispy interior people think of when cutting into a melon.
Add one or more strains of heirloom melons seeds to the garden this year by ordering them and starting them early.
While they will sprout in mounds in the garden, the jump start means they can be enjoyed earlier in the summer.
Heirloom melon seeds provide the flavor and texture watermelon lovers crave.
Anyone who hasn't ever tasted a home grown melon, and has only tried store bought hybrids will enjoy a flavor sensation with the first bite.
These hybrids were created to accommodate commercial growers, so they travel well but lost flavor in the process.
While they may last slightly longer than the ones grown in a home garden, which is partly due to having been picked before they were fully ripe.
Anyone who has enjoyed a watermelon grown from heirloom seeds knows the flavor of hybrids fails miserably in comparison.
When growing heirloom watermelon seeds at home, gardeners are able to spot which melons are nearing their peak.
By picking them at the perfect stage, the inside flesh will be crisp and sweet, while the tender heart literally bursts with flavor.
Each variety will feature different seeds that can be saved and planted the next year.
In comparison hybrid seeds may grow, but will revert to the characteristics of one of the parent plants, and generally it seems they choose the worst one.
Every heirloom melon strain is slightly different than the others.
Some are sweet, others feature fewer seeds, flesh color or size.
Choosing strains which are resistant to diseases like fusarium and anthracnose, such as the following is important for organic gardening.
One of the sweetest and most popular with home gardeners is the Organic Crimson Sweet.
This melon contains an average of 12% sugar to make it a mouthwatering delight.
The vines spread up to approximately 12 feet with each melon weighing between 20 -25 lbs.
A near relative that holds longer and can handle traveling, although you won't want to give them away, are grown from Organic Allsweet Watermelon Seeds.
Besides the deep red flesh most people associate with homegrown melons, variations exist.
Some will have a pinker tone, while others can be yellow.
The Yellow Gem Sweet is a rare heirloom variety of Crimson sweet which offers juicy sweetness in every bite.
Golden Honey watermelon seeds offer a unique rind that turns golden when it is time to be picked.
This is a smaller variety than most, growing to approximately 7-8 inches.
Another rare seed find is the Organic Moon and Stars melon.
Until 1981 it was thought to be extinct, however a single farmer was found who was still growing it, and he donated seeds for preservation.
Just as the Yellow Gem Sweet, these have finally been grown in sufficient quantities that a few are available for home gardeners.
A good lesson to take from this story is that home gardeners who have passed down seeds for generations can possibly save an entire strain.
Heirloom Jubilee watermelon seeds have been popular for years with home gardeners.
This is in part due to their disease resistance, but also because of their delicious sweet taste and immense size.
The melon has the deep red crispy interior people think of when cutting into a melon.
Add one or more strains of heirloom melons seeds to the garden this year by ordering them and starting them early.
While they will sprout in mounds in the garden, the jump start means they can be enjoyed earlier in the summer.
Heirloom melon seeds provide the flavor and texture watermelon lovers crave.