What's your favorite watermelon variety to grow? Let us know! SHOP LAZY DOG FARM FIG TREES: lazydogfarm.com/collections/fig-trees 0:00 Intro 0:45 Waiting for Our Onions to Fall Over 2:23 How to Tell When Onions Are Ready to Harvest 3:15 How Do You Prevent Onions from Flowering? 5:47 How Are Seedless Watermelon Seeds Made? 8:13 Why Do We Prefer Seedless Watermelon? 9:24 What Watermelon Varieties Are We Growing? 12:25 Germination Tips for Seedless Watermelon 14:41 Starting Seedless Watermelon Seeds in Trays
With the bigger seeds, I've taken a liking to germinating them in a moist paper towel. Fold up the paper towel with your seeds in the folds, run it through water, squeeze out the excess water, then place inside an open ziplock bag on top of a heat mat. When they germinate, place it flat in soil and cover. Works every time. Love the videos!
I do something similar (though never with seedless watermelons), but I use a plastic tub with a clear top rather than a ziploc bag. More air seems to be better. I don't always have a scrap of cloth handy, but cloth also seems to be less prone to molding than a paper towel.
I’ve been thinking about starting with paper towels on most of my seeds, try to save a little on my starter mix and not have it wet as long. I have a problem with the green stuff on top with seedlings that take a long time to germinate.
Fun story on the bolting onions... I had some that got grown up with weeds year before last, and I missed harvesting them. I planted them somewhere more convenient when I found them, and as expected for second year onions, they bolted. But... I clipped the scapes and just let them sit. When I pulled them in late summer, they had set new bulbs. Out of curiosity, I replanted a few bulbs late last fall, and they look gorgeous this spring, though they're bolting again. I'm going to give them the same treatment and see how that works out.
I went searching because I couldn't remember when you started your onion seeds and you've had your channel for two years already. I can't believe it's been that long already!
I planted Chianti onions last fall after seeing yours and man they are some great onions . I have a few hundred of them growing . I pulled just a few last week and what a nice color and taste they have . They’re not showing any sign of bolting and are still growing. I already ordered more seeds for this fall .
Seedless grape breeders cross pollinate two varieties, and use an embryo rescue technique to create plantlets from the seed traces present in seedless grapes, before the developing embryo is aborted. For example, the Cotton Candy seedless grape variety was created by cross pollinating a seedless Princess grape with a Concord seedling. Complicated but the breeders make millions off the patented varieties they create.
@@LazyDogFarm I haven't tried them, just read the breeding history. The breeding company in California(International Fruit Genetics) obtained the Concord seedling breeding material from the University of Arkansas. Only select growers are allowed to grow them plus the variety is patented. I've heard it's not that good, mainly sweet with little other flavor. I can grow table grapes here but most varieties break dormancy too quick and get killed to the ground almost every year. The ones that do grow well, rarely live longer than 5-6 years before Pierce's Disease kills them. I still grow them just for the chance year where they're really good.
Travis, Onions look amazing ! Trying watermelon again this year with Johnny's "Starlight" icebox type. I don't mind the seeds. Thanks for the video and tips on growing, all the best.
I direct sowed my watermelon and cantaloupe today. I'm only growing about four watermelon plants and about four cantaloupe. Crimson sweet and sugar baby watermelon and Hales jumbo cantaloupe. With my onions were that big, but they never got enough sun in the beginning.
We always direct sow our watermelon and cantaloupes. Never had a problem with germination, we’re in 8a. We grow Crimson Sweet & Sugar babies as well. I forget which cantaloupe variety we planted this year. It was a different one than the two previous years that didn’t produce too well. Good luck with your melons!
Your onions look terrific! I have two varieties of watermelon this year; a red one (strawberry) for my husband, and a yellow one (Leealanu) for me. Neither is a seedless variety, like what you grow. Thanks for doing this video. Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA - 4/23/2023.
Kate, I’m in Olympia too! You have success with watermelons in our area? Any tips would be much appreciated. I see mostly the small watermelon starts at the store and tried several years ago. No success. Where did you get your seeds, how and when did you germinate and any special growing conditions? Winnie
Hi, Winnie. MOST of the time I have success... not always! Our marine climate can be rather cool at times. Seeds were started indoors on 3/5. They were placed under grow lights in the dining area. The plants were subsequently potted up on 5/1. They will be hardened off between 5/24-31. If the 10-day forecast shows it is safe, the plants will go in the ground on 6/1 - or shortly thereafter. That places the growing season for melons at our hottest time - Mid June to the end of August... if you can call 75-85F hot!🤪. Got my seeds from Baker Creek. Good luck to you in your garden. Best wishes, Kate - 5/5/2023.
I tried growing watermelons last year and the germ was terrible. I tried again, using plastic wrap. Much better germination that time. I have a tray wrapped right now, and will be removing the wrap tomorrow. Great advice!
We are putting ours (Joyride F1 from Morgan County) inside our chick incubator. It's a Brinsea Ovation 56 and we are using 6 pack cells and adding a dish of water for humidity because of the fan which could dry them out to much.
We pulled them out of the incubator yesterday after 7 days. We got 7 sprouts from 10 seeds. One sprout might not be viable. I took a photo and I am attempting to add it to this comment.
I agree about how tough it is to get seedless watermelon to germinate. I planted Tailgate seedless watermelon along with Sangria seeded watermelon this year. I had 100% germination on the Sangria, but only 3 of 16 seedless ones germinated. Still hoping for a few more to germinate, but I'm afraid that's it. Not a total skunk, but a partial one. I won't give up. I did use a heat mat and a humidity dome, but I'll give your other tips a try next year.
Travis, I'm gonna need some “watermelon time” with them sweet boys when these get ripe! 😂❤😂❤😂 Before ya know it, your beautiful baby girl will be a sweet sticky mess with her big brothers. Stay awesome and blessed sweet family. Love, hugs and blessings ~ Lisa
Ive been growing a garden as an adult for almost 20 years and my family had a garden growing up... the thought of only watering seeds once gives me so much anxiety 😂😂 imma trust your advice and as a Gator girl, hell i might even buy a dogs bucket for extra luck 😂😂🤦♀️
Tray marking tip. Use wide yellow tape and black permanent marker on the side of the tray. Won't have to worry about markers falling out and makes the trays easier to wrap.
Have you tried using a wetting agent when starting seeds? I used Eden Blue Gold Base Blend for my corinto and excelsior cucumbers and I had germination overnight. I’ve also trialed using just a little bit of Dr. Bronner’s soap when initially watering my seed starts and they pop so fast! The Blue Gold is something you will have to wait for, but the Dr. Soap can be found easily. It’s kind of the same theory of using the Dr. Bronner’s with neem oil. You need something that will stick the water on what it touches.
Good info. Would you consider doing a similar video on germinating the Super hot peppers. I get close to 100% germination on bell peppers, but closer to 25% on my super hots. They too are very expensive seeds and I'd like to do better.
I was surprised you did not grow any Orange Krush again this year. I will say this about watermelons.... it has been my experience they take longer than I expected to pop when germinating. Give them time if you don't see results as fast as expected. We had 100% germination on 3 or the 4 varieties I planted this year and 90% on the 4th. But they were slow and I thought they would never start! Slower than my peppers (two varieties were the last of my early season starts to germinate, but those 2 came in at 100% once they got going).
I don’t know about watermelon seeds. Mine germinate fine. For me the hardest seeds I’ve germinated so far would be passion fruit seeds. Especially when you don’t have fresh fruit to work with but dried seeds via mail which have a low germination rate. I scarify mine but of all the scarified seeds I’ve grown they are still top of the list in low germination rates. Watermelons in general are not a beginner crop to try first time with no gardening experience as your first grow. Edit: yes I have a temperature controlled and lighting controlled germination station so I’m speaking from that perspective about what I find more difficult even with having that type of setup.
We are supposed to get some cold this weekend in Arkansas. It may be coming your way next week.Not sure.. My garden is doing so good. It would break my heart to loose all my work.
I'm in Fayetteville and just covered everything a couple of hours ago. Actual freezing temperatures aren't called for, but the forecast would only have to be off by a couple of degrees to get frost. Travis is probably safe all the way down there in south Georgia. It's very nice to have covers, as long as you don't plant more than you can cover. I expect to be able to put the rest of my tomatoes out early next week.
@@bobbun9630 It looked like we were ok with the forecast but the next day is colder. My garden is tiny so everything is tucked together and kind of protected. I'll feel it out for today. The weather has certainly been strange the last 2 years.
Question. So if I would like to keep tops like to freeze dry them can I cut tops off and lions still grow with out harvesting them . Like cut them when still green.
Where do you get your DP Sweet onion seed? I started 3 red seedless and 3 yellow seedless, all 3 red geminated, not a single one of the yellow's geminated.
He starts from seeds and transplants in November. I tried that for the first time this year and my onions didn't deal with the three hard frosts we got here as well as Travis' did. I'll get some good ones but several have just done nothing.
All I planted this year was sugar babies, so we'll be spittin seeds, but we don't mind that. I like Jubilees too but the plants get too big for our small garden.
Yes, you can get seeds from it and you can save them if it's an open-pollinated variety. We grow hybrids, so we don't save any onion seeds. Also, onion seeds are dirt cheap and not really worth saving IMO.
What's your favorite watermelon variety to grow? Let us know!
SHOP LAZY DOG FARM FIG TREES: lazydogfarm.com/collections/fig-trees
0:00 Intro
0:45 Waiting for Our Onions to Fall Over
2:23 How to Tell When Onions Are Ready to Harvest
3:15 How Do You Prevent Onions from Flowering?
5:47 How Are Seedless Watermelon Seeds Made?
8:13 Why Do We Prefer Seedless Watermelon?
9:24 What Watermelon Varieties Are We Growing?
12:25 Germination Tips for Seedless Watermelon
14:41 Starting Seedless Watermelon Seeds in Trays
With the bigger seeds, I've taken a liking to germinating them in a moist paper towel. Fold up the paper towel with your seeds in the folds, run it through water, squeeze out the excess water, then place inside an open ziplock bag on top of a heat mat. When they germinate, place it flat in soil and cover. Works every time. Love the videos!
I do something similar (though never with seedless watermelons), but I use a plastic tub with a clear top rather than a ziploc bag. More air seems to be better. I don't always have a scrap of cloth handy, but cloth also seems to be less prone to molding than a paper towel.
I’ve been thinking about starting with paper towels on most of my seeds, try to save a little on my starter mix and not have it wet as long. I have a problem with the green stuff on top with seedlings that take a long time to germinate.
@iva*hi*hope exactly! And you can germ them anywhere.
I tried that with larger seeds. I like it. Especially okra. Soaking a little helps sometimes too.
Fun story on the bolting onions... I had some that got grown up with weeds year before last, and I missed harvesting them. I planted them somewhere more convenient when I found them, and as expected for second year onions, they bolted. But... I clipped the scapes and just let them sit. When I pulled them in late summer, they had set new bulbs. Out of curiosity, I replanted a few bulbs late last fall, and they look gorgeous this spring, though they're bolting again. I'm going to give them the same treatment and see how that works out.
Very informative. Youve stepped up my onion game immensely thanks travis and family
Cool information on the watermelons. I'm going to give them a try next season.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain. Why I love watching your channel. Look forward to your next video. Thank you again.
I’m really happy about your onions😊
The Ducks ❤️
I went searching because I couldn't remember when you started your onion seeds and you've had your channel for two years already. I can't believe it's been that long already!
I planted Chianti onions last fall after seeing yours and man they are some great onions . I have a few hundred of them growing . I pulled just a few last week and what a nice color and taste they have . They’re not showing any sign of bolting and are still growing. I already ordered more seeds for this fall .
It is a great variety! Good to hear it performed well for you.
That's my problem. Patience. Thanks for letting me know.
Great explanation of the science. Enjoy watching your videos and what is growing. Not sure most viewers can appreciate how hot it gets where you are.
Seedless grape breeders cross pollinate two varieties, and use an embryo rescue technique to create plantlets from the seed traces present in seedless grapes, before the developing embryo is aborted. For example, the Cotton Candy seedless grape variety was created by cross pollinating a seedless Princess grape with a Concord seedling. Complicated but the breeders make millions off the patented varieties they create.
Interesting! I've had those cotton candy grapes at the grocery store.
@@LazyDogFarm I haven't tried them, just read the breeding history. The breeding company in California(International Fruit Genetics) obtained the Concord seedling breeding material from the University of Arkansas.
Only select growers are allowed to grow them plus the variety is patented.
I've heard it's not that good, mainly sweet with little other flavor.
I can grow table grapes here but most varieties break dormancy too quick and get killed to the ground almost every year. The ones that do grow well, rarely live longer than 5-6 years before Pierce's Disease kills them. I still grow them just for the chance year where they're really good.
Travis, Onions look amazing ! Trying watermelon again this year with Johnny's "Starlight" icebox type. I don't mind the seeds. Thanks for the video and tips on growing, all the best.
I direct sowed my watermelon and cantaloupe today. I'm only growing about four watermelon plants and about four cantaloupe. Crimson sweet and sugar baby watermelon and Hales jumbo cantaloupe.
With my onions were that big, but they never got enough sun in the beginning.
We always direct sow our watermelon and cantaloupes. Never had a problem with germination, we’re in 8a.
We grow Crimson Sweet & Sugar babies as well. I forget which cantaloupe variety we planted this year. It was a different one than the two previous years that didn’t produce too well.
Good luck with your melons!
Impressive onions Boss!
Video was fantastic and I felt the keeps us from wanting to water it. I would definitely have to cover it or I would water it
Your onions look terrific!
I have two varieties of watermelon this year; a red one (strawberry) for my husband, and a yellow one (Leealanu) for me. Neither is a seedless variety, like what you grow.
Thanks for doing this video. Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA - 4/23/2023.
Kate,
I’m in Olympia too! You have success with watermelons in our area? Any tips would be much appreciated. I see mostly the small watermelon starts at the store and tried several years ago. No success. Where did you get your seeds, how and when did you germinate and any special growing conditions?
Winnie
Hi, Winnie. MOST of the time I have success... not always! Our marine climate can be rather cool at times. Seeds were started indoors on 3/5. They were placed under grow lights in the dining area. The plants were subsequently potted up on 5/1. They will be hardened off between 5/24-31. If the 10-day forecast shows it is safe, the plants will go in the ground on 6/1 - or shortly thereafter. That places the growing season for melons at our hottest time - Mid June to the end of August... if you can call 75-85F hot!🤪. Got my seeds from Baker Creek. Good luck to you in your garden. Best wishes, Kate - 5/5/2023.
This Video was just in time for me to start my watermelons
Wow!! Your onions look amazing. I hope mine looks like yours.
Love it you are my best go to garden guy. Doing my ebb and grow with watermelons.
Thanks Tim!
I tried growing watermelons last year and the germ was terrible. I tried again, using plastic wrap. Much better germination that time. I have a tray wrapped right now, and will be removing the wrap tomorrow. Great advice!
We are putting ours (Joyride F1 from Morgan County) inside our chick incubator. It's a Brinsea Ovation 56 and we are using 6 pack cells and adding a dish of water for humidity because of the fan which could dry them out to much.
Great idea!
We pulled them out of the incubator yesterday after 7 days. We got 7 sprouts from 10 seeds. One sprout might not be viable.
I took a photo and I am attempting to add it to this comment.
I agree about how tough it is to get seedless watermelon to germinate. I planted Tailgate seedless watermelon along with Sangria seeded watermelon this year. I had 100% germination on the Sangria, but only 3 of 16 seedless ones germinated. Still hoping for a few more to germinate, but I'm afraid that's it. Not a total skunk, but a partial one. I won't give up. I did use a heat mat and a humidity dome, but I'll give your other tips a try next year.
I think the Saran Wrap trick and minimal water will be a game changer for you.
Travis, I'm gonna need some “watermelon time” with them sweet boys when these get ripe! 😂❤😂❤😂 Before ya know it, your beautiful baby girl will be a sweet sticky mess with her big brothers. Stay awesome and blessed sweet family. Love, hugs and blessings ~ Lisa
Will do! Hopefully Essie will be able to eat some watermelon by the time these are ready.
Ive been growing a garden as an adult for almost 20 years and my family had a garden growing up... the thought of only watering seeds once gives me so much anxiety 😂😂 imma trust your advice and as a Gator girl, hell i might even buy a dogs bucket for extra luck 😂😂🤦♀️
That Dawgs bucket will be a game changer! 😉
As a Nole, this entire comment gives me anxiety.
Love it!
Tray marking tip. Use wide yellow tape and black permanent marker on the side of the tray. Won't have to worry about markers falling out and makes the trays easier to wrap.
I like that idea!
Man oh man those are dandy onions mine never get that big nice job hopefully mine get bigger this they look better than they ever have
Have you tried using a wetting agent when starting seeds? I used Eden Blue Gold Base Blend for my corinto and excelsior cucumbers and I had germination overnight. I’ve also trialed using just a little bit of Dr. Bronner’s soap when initially watering my seed starts and they pop so fast! The Blue Gold is something you will have to wait for, but the Dr. Soap can be found easily.
It’s kind of the same theory of using the Dr. Bronner’s with neem oil. You need something that will stick the water on what it touches.
Have not tried that, but it sounds like a winning technique!
“Just set it and forget it.” Ok Ron👍🏻
Best thing find you a piece of glass that covers trays and you don’t have to wrap with Saran Wrap
Them onion’s look good. I would like to try to grow some of those giant watermelon’s here and Kansas. 300 pounds WOW 😮 !!!!!!
Those some big onions, Travis
Good info. Would you consider doing a similar video on germinating the Super hot peppers. I get close to 100% germination on bell peppers, but closer to 25% on my super hots. They too are very expensive seeds and I'd like to do better.
I would do the super hot peppers very similar to the way we did these seedless watermelons.
I was surprised you did not grow any Orange Krush again this year. I will say this about watermelons.... it has been my experience they take longer than I expected to pop when germinating. Give them time if you don't see results as fast as expected. We had 100% germination on 3 or the 4 varieties I planted this year and 90% on the 4th. But they were slow and I thought they would never start! Slower than my peppers (two varieties were the last of my early season starts to germinate, but those 2 came in at 100% once they got going).
Orange Krush was a great one, but the kids wanted me to grow some yellow watermelons. So they had the final say. 😂
I don’t know about watermelon seeds. Mine germinate fine. For me the hardest seeds I’ve germinated so far would be passion fruit seeds. Especially when you don’t have fresh fruit to work with but dried seeds via mail which have a low germination rate. I scarify mine but of all the scarified seeds I’ve grown they are still top of the list in low germination rates. Watermelons in general are not a beginner crop to try first time with no gardening experience as your first grow. Edit: yes I have a temperature controlled and lighting controlled germination station so I’m speaking from that perspective about what I find more difficult even with having that type of setup.
Them are some nice onions! Maybe the arctic freeze was a good thing?
Them Rocky ford melons are the best out of Colorado
We are supposed to get some cold this weekend in Arkansas. It may be coming your way next week.Not sure.. My garden is doing so good. It would break my heart to loose all my work.
I'm in Fayetteville and just covered everything a couple of hours ago. Actual freezing temperatures aren't called for, but the forecast would only have to be off by a couple of degrees to get frost. Travis is probably safe all the way down there in south Georgia. It's very nice to have covers, as long as you don't plant more than you can cover. I expect to be able to put the rest of my tomatoes out early next week.
@@bobbun9630 It looked like we were ok with the forecast but the next day is colder. My garden is tiny so everything is tucked together and kind of protected. I'll feel it out for today. The weather has certainly been strange the last 2 years.
will any seeded watermelon work as a pollinator for the seedless?
Yes.
The only seed that that I still struggle with is Snail vine from Baker Creek. I have tried every method, nada. Sad because such a unique flower & vine
I ordered the giant watermelon seeds only 2 came up😢 hope I can keep them growing! I also got the giant sunflower seeds and they all came up!
Taters! Love your videos even though I'm in the tropics I learn do much. :)
Question. So if I would like to keep tops like to freeze dry them can I cut tops off and lions still grow with out harvesting them . Like cut them when still green.
I bet the neighbor's ducks would enjoy a few 300 pound watermelons. Looking forward to seeing how they do.
Oh I'm sure they would! And they don't care if they're a little overripe.
Hey for the giant watermelon, you can carve it like you would a pumpkin.
Where do you get your DP Sweet onion seed? I started 3 red seedless and 3 yellow seedless, all 3 red geminated, not a single one of the yellow's geminated.
We get the seeds online from a company called NE Seed.
Where can we get the Chianti red onions seeds/ starts/sets?
NE Seeds online
If you plant by seed look for slow bolt _______. Lettuce. Onions. Carrots etc. Living in the hot tropics it's the ONLY option. :)
Dang Trav! Make my garden look pitiful, I got 20 onions……
Did you start your onions from seed, or onion sets? Nice crop!
He starts from seeds and transplants in November. I tried that for the first time this year and my onions didn't deal with the three hard frosts we got here as well as Travis' did. I'll get some good ones but several have just done nothing.
How about pre-soaking the seeds in some warm water just before putting seedless seeds into soil?
Haven't tried that. Always scared to give them too much water.
All I planted this year was sugar babies, so we'll be spittin seeds, but we don't mind that. I like Jubilees too but the plants get too big for our small garden.
👍🏻
After you put watermelon seedlings in the ground can you put aggrothrive on them
Yes. I'd try not to get it on the leaves if they're newly transplanted. Just pour around the base of the transplant.
No compost over your cover crop area? Onions
where do they get seeds for seedless watermelons?
When the onion bolts/Flowers, does that mean you will get seed from that? And can you save those?
Yes, you can get seeds from it and you can save them if it's an open-pollinated variety. We grow hybrids, so we don't save any onion seeds. Also, onion seeds are dirt cheap and not really worth saving IMO.
@@LazyDogFarm thank you I appreciate that information.
i wish y’all would write a book and/or make an in-depth planting guide, maybe month-by-month style, and offer those items for purchase!
I've tinkered with the idea of creating some online courses, but haven't done it yet.
If people knew how much of their food was sprayed with things like gibberellic acid they'd probably freak out about that also.
True
No thanks on the seedless melons. God intended them to have seeds!
First
Average size?...lol
You don't have to go to all of that trouble to germinate seeds it's not that hard
God made food with seeds so we could eat. Seedless is not God's plan for us. I only grow things from NATUAL seeds