Last month, I posted a video of the world’s largest watermelon being harvested. It made me think I’d like to put my green(ish) thumb to the test by growing my own record breaker. So I did some research.
Turns out, growing a world record watermelon like the current record holder above isn’t easy. The biggest weigh over 100 pounds, with many weighing over 200 pounds. You have to pay a lot of special attention to it, being sure to plant the seeds at the right time, weeding the area regularly, and giving it just the right amount of fertilizer and water. Plus the weather conditions for the year need to be just right in order to help it reach its full potential. Watermelons in general prefer warmer temperatures and the longer growing seasons of the south, which also has higher temperatures, make growing giant watermelons easier.
But not just any watermelon seeds will do. Some places, like this one, specialize in selling giant watermelon seeds in varieties like the Carolina Cross, Black Diamond and the Georgia Rattlesnake. I personally have never tried growing a watermelon (I’m more of an eater than a farmer), but this sounds like a lot of fun… even if all you do is try to top your personal best each year!
Dr. Penny Perkins-Veazie
Chef Harry Schwartz
Elizabeth Somer, M.A.
Josh Bailey
J-Slice
Hi, Watermelon Guy! Interesting blog! Sounds like growing giant watermelons is very similar to growing giant pumpkins. There are special seeds for growing those, too. We don’t grow many watermelons here in New England, but we do grow pumpkins, and I’ve seen some whoppers. Six, seven, eight hundred-plus pounders aren’t all that unusual.
WOW! An 800 pound pumpkin? That thing would be a blast to carve up for Halloween. And don’t even get me started on how many seeds you could roast from that thing.
my greatgrandfather had watermelons on his farm in oklahoma(Caddo county) that regularly went over a 100#… I have an old photo somehwere where it too 3 men to carry one. I miss breaking open a giant melon, washing my hands, breaking open another (in the field of course) and just eating the hearts.. ah the good old days.. these melons were so sweet too..not like most today, or is it that watermelons were sweeter when you were younger?
Greetings from the swamps of SW Louisiana. I currently live in the middle of what once was a lively water melon field about 5 years ago. I recently planted some Carolina Cross seed from ferry morse that were given to me and was told they could be so giants. and was curious as to see if i might get some pointers an suggestions from those in amongst the water melon loving community i also planted a few moon & stars and some seed from a melon market what a melon. i have a lot of room to work with and i have had some luck in the past with just regular melons so figure what the heck we love us some melons here in the south.
Thanks
Adrian
hya… yes i’m tring in Portugal and using the american carolina cross, (the one that we see in your video, its not that hard to grow it giant.. it just need to be in the summer, and there is a trick, you guys must just let grow one fruit per pllant, so it consumes all the energy a get bigger