Watermelon Seeds-Hollyhill Watermelon
We have been saving seeds from our early yellow fleshed watermelons for several
years now. We started with a variety called Yellow Doll that was very nice. We
grew it along side a variety called Blacktail Mountain that was known for being
especially early and good but was a red fleshed variety. They did cross and we
kept the yellow fleshed melon seeds and now we have a melon that is a bit larger
than the Yellow Doll variety and is just as sweet and good tasting and ripens easily
here in Oregon. They are about the size of a small bowling ball and are a light
green with dark green stripes. I will sell you 15 seeds of our Hollyhill Watermelon
for just $3.50. They were saved from the best ones we grew in 2009.
We have been saving seeds from our early yellow fleshed watermelons for several
years now. We started with a variety called Yellow Doll that was very nice. We
grew it along side a variety called Blacktail Mountain that was known for being
especially early and good but was a red fleshed variety. They did cross and we
kept the yellow fleshed melon seeds and now we have a melon that is a bit larger
than the Yellow Doll variety and is just as sweet and good tasting and ripens easily
here in Oregon. They are about the size of a small bowling ball and are a light
green with dark green stripes. I will sell you 15 seeds of our Hollyhill Watermelon
for just $3.50. They were saved from the best ones we grew in 2009.
How to grow good watermelons in Oregon:
I start the seeds in April under lights in my basement. I place three seeds in light germination mix in a 2.5
inch pot. I water them and put the pots into a plastic bag. They are placed about 4 inches from the
florescent bulb and will sprout in 4-5 days. After a week or so, I take them out of the bag and grow them
inside under the lights for a couple of weeks. I eventually move the plants out to our unheated
greenhouse on about May 1st. Contrary to what others say, I like the water melon plants to be somewhat
pot bound before I plant them outside. They are much less susceptible to transplant shock. The plants
are planted in the garden on June 1st and never any earlier. I do give the plants some greenhouse
fertilizer while they are in the greenhouse. The ground must be warm for them to do well. I till the soil and
place a black(black not clear) polyethlene tarp over the soil and cover the edges with soil. I cut an X into
the spots where I grow the plants. The plants do well when spaced about 3 to 4 feet apart. I water them
with a bit of liquid greenhouse fertilizer(20-20-20) weekly for about 4-5 weeks and then give them no
more fertilizer. When you water them, you can just spray over the black tarp as the plants will pick up the
water from the puddles. They are ripe on about Labor Day or about September 1st. They have a long
harvest period and we are still eating melons in November. Even in our poor growing season in 2008, we
had several excellent melons and many very good ones. I ate the last one on November 29th while I was
digging tubers. The vines had died long ago but the melon was very tasty
I start the seeds in April under lights in my basement. I place three seeds in light germination mix in a 2.5
inch pot. I water them and put the pots into a plastic bag. They are placed about 4 inches from the
florescent bulb and will sprout in 4-5 days. After a week or so, I take them out of the bag and grow them
inside under the lights for a couple of weeks. I eventually move the plants out to our unheated
greenhouse on about May 1st. Contrary to what others say, I like the water melon plants to be somewhat
pot bound before I plant them outside. They are much less susceptible to transplant shock. The plants
are planted in the garden on June 1st and never any earlier. I do give the plants some greenhouse
fertilizer while they are in the greenhouse. The ground must be warm for them to do well. I till the soil and
place a black(black not clear) polyethlene tarp over the soil and cover the edges with soil. I cut an X into
the spots where I grow the plants. The plants do well when spaced about 3 to 4 feet apart. I water them
with a bit of liquid greenhouse fertilizer(20-20-20) weekly for about 4-5 weeks and then give them no
more fertilizer. When you water them, you can just spray over the black tarp as the plants will pick up the
water from the puddles. They are ripe on about Labor Day or about September 1st. They have a long
harvest period and we are still eating melons in November. Even in our poor growing season in 2008, we
had several excellent melons and many very good ones. I ate the last one on November 29th while I was
digging tubers. The vines had died long ago but the melon was very tasty
Here are the watermelon plants on
about July 4th.
about July 4th.
