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Varieties and Sources, part 5: Tomato to Watermelon

Tomato

Many other members of the nightshade family are also edible, including the ground cherry, the husk tomato, the tomatillo, and the garden huckleberry. If you grow these other nightshades treat them just as you would a tomato.

Tomatoes thrive in heat, and moderately rich soil. We see evidence that tomatoes do not like too much nitrogen, and will yield more foliage than blossoms when over-exposed to nitrogen. Tomatoes are prone to blossom end rot, particularly paste and plum tomatoes. Bone meal will prevent blossom end rot, by supplying calcium without burning the plants. A more economical treatment may be powdered milk. Tomatoes drink a lot of water when it is very hot, yet do best when they have good drainage. Some tomatoes may need some shade during the day. Many tomatoes thrive in yards where they get less than a full day of sun. Tomatoes are set out as plants in the spring when all danger of frost is past. For Wyoming watch for short season varieties that are resistant to disease and wilt. Do not plant longer season tomatoes. You will only be disappointed. For main tomatoes (not paste) we plant about half indeterminate and half determinate varieties. Indeterminates will outperform in a hot summer (2006) and determinates will outperform in a cool one (2004, 2005).

Links: University of Illinois Extension, Tomato History, Tomato Problem Solver, Planting Tomatoes with Legumes, Tomato Art Festival,

Soils: Prefers moderate manure and/or fertilizer. Really prefers well drained soil.

Companions: Beans, Corn, Melons, Pumpkin, Radishes, Squash, and Other Nightshades

Germination: 98 percent when soils are 59 degrees. This one loves cool soils.

Group: Nightshade (Lycopersicon esculentum) Other Nightshade: Egg Plant, Pepper, Potato, Garden Huckleberry, Tomatillo

Blossom end rot: can result from lack of calcium in soil. Till bone meal into the soil, or use powdered milk. But the most likely cause is either: (1) too much water around the roots. Lighter watering and better drainage is the cure; or (2) because of hot weather the plant is simply processing too much water. Add calcium to the soil in the forms of bone meal or powdered milk. Pick when just turning color, and at season's end pick green. Tomatoes don't need the sun, they ripen just fine indoors. Do not let tomatoes freeze.

Planting: Set out after all danger of frost is past.

Main Crop Indeterminate Tomatoes:
Days to Maturity		Name - Description		Product		Days/Size Rating
Recommend:
Burp 72, Ttom 68,		Recommend Tomande Hybrid VFFNT - Wonderful taste,. Ribbed shoulders and oblate. Sets heavily. Indeterminate. Grown in 2007-09. We love the flavor of Tomande. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.Medium Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		6 to 8 ounces		1.56
Bakr 75,		Recommend Rose - Indeterminate. Amish developed this one in Pennsylvania. Some consider the flavor of Rose to rival Brandywine. From the Baker Creek Seeds Catalog: "Lovely rose-colored fruit weigh 1 lb each and plants are very productive. This variety has amazing flavor that many prefer to Brandywine! In 2006 the Columbus Dispatch rated it #1 and said, 'The Rose tomato is an heirloom variety that was a favorite among the gardeners for flavor.'" Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.Medium Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		10 ounces		1.67
, Ttom 55,		Recommend Bloody Butcher - Very Early, as early as Early Girl but with better taste. Grown for many years by Bill Simpson. Produces well even in a cool summer. Bloody Butcher is deep dark red inside and out. Round, and about 4 ounces. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. High Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		3 to 5 ounces		4.44
Bakr 80, Burp 80, Feld 80, Nich 80, Pine 69, Shum 69, Ttom 69,		Recommend Black Krim - Dark deep red with green shoulders, indeterminate. We grew this in 2003-2009. We will grow it in '10. This may be the best tasting tomato we grow. Note: 2008 was very cold, and this altered the taste of Black Krim. It retained its sweetness, but lost its acidity. From the Baker Creek Seeds Catalog: "Dark red-purple fruit, rich sweet flavor. One of the best. It always places high in tomato taste trials. It's very juicy. An heirloom from Russia with very unique-looking, large fruit. I really like the wonderful flavor. It's popular at many markets on the West Coast; also a favorite of many fince chefs. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. High Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		6 to 16 ounces		1.56
Burp 59, Farm 45, Feld 52, Gurn 52, Jung 64, Nich 62, Park 57, Pine 60, Shum 59, Terr 78, Ttom 57, Vrmt 60,		Recommend Early Girl VFF, developed by Burpee, the most popular tomato in American gardens, early and hearty. Hint: grow alongside a bigger variety to maximize the size of Early Girl. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		4 to 6 ounces		1.67
Park 65, Ttom 65,		Recommend Whopper Improved VFFNT , a nice large tomato, developed by Park, Whopper is a standard for large tomatoes - indeterminate Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		8-12 ounces		2.22
Burp 73, Farm 72, Feld 73, Gurn 73, John 70, Jung 73, Nich 73, Park 73, Sche 74, Shum 73, Stok 73, Terr 83, Ttom 73, Vrmt 73,		Recommend Big Beef Hybrid VFFNTASt, AAS Winner, Some consider Big Beef to be the best tomato yet developed -indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		8-12 ounces		1.67
Ttom 65, Vrmt 65,		Recommend Goliath - VFFNTASt , Winner of our 2000 tomato trials, and grown every year since, big plants with big fruit, good flavor, superb! Goliath and Early Goliath are steady and dependable producers. Flavor is not as good as other varieties. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. High Seed Potency		10 to 15 ounces		2.22
Shum 65, Ttom 58,		Recommend Early Goliath - VFFNTASt , Big plants, earlier, with big fruit. Possibly a better tomato than the original Goliath. Seems to resist wilt better than the original. Goliath and Early Goliath are steady and dependable producers. Flavor is not as good as other varieties. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. High Seed Potency		10 to 15 ounces		2.22
Considering:
Burp 73, Farm 72, Feld 73, Gurn 73, John 70, Jung 73, Nich 73, Park 73, Sche 74, Shum 73, Stok 73, Terr 83, Ttom 73, Vrmt 73,		Recommend Big Beef Hybrid VFFNTASt, AAS Winner, Some consider Big Beef to be the best tomato yet developed -indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		8-12 ounces		1.67
Bakr 75,		Ingegnoli Gigante Liscio -Giant fruit up to 2 lbs. Ingegnoli Gigante Liscio has a sweet rich taste, old-fashioned flavor. From the Baker Creek Seeds Catalog: Giant fruit grow up to 2 lbs or more. Bright red, quite sweet and rich tasting, excellent for home gardeners who want old-fashioned flavor. Developed in Italy around 1900 from a cross of the old varieties 'Ponderosa' and 'Saint Louis'. Hard to find now." Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. ...Heirloom***		2+ pounds		4.0
Bakr 75, Pine 65, Ttom 68,		Anna Russian - Anna Russian has big, very productive plants, pink heart-shaped fruit. From the Baker Creek Seeds Catalog: "This heirloom was sent to a Russian immigrant many years ago from a gardener in Russia. The pretty pink heart-shaped fruit are large in size, thin skinned and packed with the great flavor that makes Russian tomatoes famous! Plants produce a good yeild. Indeterminate.Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. ...Heirloom***		1 pound		3.55
Burp 80,		Porterhouse Hybrid - Porterhouse Hybrid has rich old-fashioned flavor, is a beefsteak type. 2 to 4 lbs. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		2 to 4 lbs.		3.2
Ttom 75,		Big Bite Hybrid VFFNT - From the Totally Tomatoes Catalog: "Not your ordinary beefsteak by a long shot, with well-formed plants that outpace other varieties in small spaces. Crops early and often, yielding season-long harvests of 14 oz. fruits that are meaty and uniform. Acidic, true tomato flavor. Stake plants for best results. Indeterminate." Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		14 ounces		2.33
Bakr 75,		Pantano Romanesco - Pantano Romanesco is rare and delicious. From the Baker Creek Seeds Catalog: "A Roman heirloom that was sent to us by Mr. Barbetti, from Italy. The fruit are large and are deep red, with almost a purple tint. The flesh is very rich, flavorful, and juicy. And excellent tomato for home and market gardeners; very rare and delicious." Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. ...Heirloom***		14 ounces?		2.33
Shum 78, Ttom 78,		Burpee Big Boy - Burpee Big Boy are large, red, with superb flavor. They are one of the first Hybrid 'hits', introduced in 1949. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		16 ounces		2.32
Burp 70,		Steak Sandwich Hybrid - Heavy bearing and long bearing. Old-fashioned taste. Steak Sandwich produces fruit that is about 10 oz. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		10 ounces		2.22
Burp 70,		Super Tasty - is extremely tasty with great aroma and texture. 8-10 ounces. Semi-Determinate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		8 to 10 ounces		2.22
Sche 63, Ttom 65,		Dona - French hybrid, high quality, deep red, perfect acid/sugar ratio. Dona is very early, indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		6 ounces		1.54
Nich 70, Terr 70,		Momotaro - Momotaro is one of the most popular tomatoes in Japan. From the Territorial Seed Catalog: "Named after a hero in Japanese folklore, it will also be the hero of your garden. An unsurpassable fresh eating tomato. Its flavor is an intricate and harmonious combination of sweet and tangy that has won Momotaro seaveral tomato tasting contests. The radiant, dark-pink slicers weigh 6-7 ounces. Momotaro is durable, heat tolerant, and crack rsesistant, with good storability." Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		6.5 ounces		1.444
Bakr 70, Ttom 75,		Prudens Purple - Prudens Purple is really a pink tomato. From the Baker Creek Seeds Catalog: "Lovely deep-pink fruits weigh up to 1 lb. Theyt are early for such large fruit. Similar to Brandywine in taste, size and having the same sweet, rich taste. Potato-leaved plants.Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		6.5 ounces		1.444
Gurn 72,		Gurney Girl II - Gurney's says that this is their customers' favorite. Great flavor. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		7 ounces		1.37
Ttom 76,		Italian Goliath VFFNTA - Indeterminate. Large red, beefsteak type, with excellent flavor. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		8 ounces		1.27
Bakr 75,		Sioux -From the Baker Creek Seeds Catalog: "One of the best-known, historic tomatoes, the medium-sized fruit are early. Productive plants and great flavor made this one of the most popular Midwestern tomatoes in the late 1940s." Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below. ...Heirloom***		6 ounces?		1.0
.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Shum 80, Ttom 80, Vrmt 80,		Big Zac - deep red and huge, indeterminate - We grew this in 2004. It was a winner. Big Zac did not perform well in 2005...too cold. Seed can be hard to find. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		1 to 2 lbs		3.2
Shum 75, Terr 85, Ttom 75, Vrmt 75,		Old German VF - Indeterminate. Early Heirloom. We have grown this in the past. Large, yellow and red 'stripes'. Grown in 2008, a cold year. It was flop. Might grow again in limited numbers. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.Medium Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		8 to 32 ounces		2.90
Bakr 83, Terr 75,		Gold Medal VF - Indeterminate. We have grown this in the past. It will not perform well in a cold year. Large, yellow and red 'stripes'. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		8 to 32 ounces		2.66
Ttom 74,		Jumbo Hybrid VF - large red, indeterminate, up to 30 pounds of fruit per plant, close internodes to set more fruit. We grew this in 2003. It produced as well as Goliath. We would grow this variety again - indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		12 to 16 ounces		2.63
Burp 78,		Brandy Boy Hybrid - Burpee says this is the best tasting tomato you can grow, an improvement on Brandywine with 4 to 5 times the yeild. Our yeilds, in 2009, a cool summer, were not great. We discovered that the taste gets better and better the longer it is left on the vine. We will not trial Brandy Boy again in 2010. Indeterminate. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.		8 to 16 ounces		2.0
Varieties We Rate as Failures:		First Light (09), Marmande (08), Country Taste (08), Ultimate Opener (07),
Varieties We Rate as So-So:		Buckbee's 50 Day (09), Ultrasonic VFT(07), Early Cascade, Big Boy
Varieties Bill Simpson Rates as Failures:		Ultimate Opener (08), Moskvich (08),
Varieties Bill Simpson Rates as So-So:		Tomande (08), Marmande (08), Siberia (04), Jet Setter (04), Early Goliath (04),

Main Crop Determinate Tomatoes:
ABOUT DETERMINATE TOMATOES: Bill Simpson is the gardener who really turned me onto Determinate tomatoes. He invited me out to his place to see what he was doing in his garden. I was surprised by the fact that he planted nothing but Determinate tomatoes, and also by how heavily those plants produced. Determinate tomatoes reach a point in their growth when they stop growing vines and leaves and put all their efforts into growing and ripening fruit. Indeterminate tomatoes (which is mostly what is sold by greenhouses) keep growing their vines until they are stopped by hard frost. Indeterminate plants usually grow taller and require staking and support. Determinate plants usually stay quite short (there are exceptions) and need no staking and no trimming at all. We started growing Determinate tomatoes in the 2005 season with 10 plants. This 2006 season we grew 26 Determinate plants. Our only regrets are that we did not grow more Determinates and fewer Indeterminates. Be assured that next year the count on our Determinate plants will rise again. One problem with Determinate tomatoes is that, generally speaking, they do not have the great flavor that Indeterminates have. There is a chart in Johnny's Seeds 2006 catalog that clearly illustrates this point. It is for that reason that we probably will never get completely away from planting some Indeterminates. However, careful reading of the catalogs tells me that there are some great tasting Determinates. It may just be a matter of hunting for them. The best reason to start growing Determinate tomatoes is the fact that their production matches our growing season much better than Indeterminates. Note the chart below. We usually get a cool spell about September 3rd, and our first hard frost about September 22. Most Determinates will have ripened a majority of their fruits on the vine by the time that first cool period hits on the 3rd. But, as you can see, it is a different story with the early Indeterminates. Later Indeterminates will be lucky to have produced very many ripe fruit by the time of our first hard frost.
Days to Maturity		Name - Description		Product
The Best:
Park 66, Stok 65, Ttom 66,		Recommend Applause Hybrd VFFA - Determinate. Large fruits, 8 to 12 oz., Rich and satifying flavor, big, early, delicious. Grown in 2008-09. Will grow again in '10. We think Applause is the very best Determininate we have ever grown. In a cool summer (2009) we got at least one 16 oz. fruit off of each plant. Overall tomato production was superb!Low Seed Potency		6 to 16 ounces
Recommend
Ttom 68,		Recommend Corona Hybrid VFFNASt - Large fruits, vigorous yeilds - Determinate. Native of Mexico. Grown in 2005 with good production. Corona grown in 2006 with so-so production. Grown again in 2008 with great results. One must use fresh seed each year for this tomato. Low Seed Potency		6 ounces
Considering:
Ttom 70, Vrmt 70,		Biltmore - Determinate, globe shaped, deep red with green shoulders, tough to beat in farmers' market taste tests. Low Seed Potency		8 to 10 ounces
Gurn 72,		Gurney's Burgermaster VFFNT - Determinate, large, smooth, flavorful. Heavy set.Low Seed Potency		9 to 11 ounces
Ttom 69,		Campbell's 33 VFA - Determinate, oblate, deep red with green shoulders, sets fruit well under tough conditions, strong disease resistance. Low Seed Potency		7 ounces
Jung 70, Ttom 70,		John Baer - Determinate or Indeterminate?. Widely grown heirloom, very productive over a long season. Has very good flavor Low Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		4.5 ounces
Jung 72,		Gran Daddy - Determinate, big fruit, heavy yeilds. Grown in 2007 and heavy production. We would consider growing this one again. Low Seed Potency		12 to 16 ounces
Ttom 72,		Empire Hybrd VFFNASt - Large fruits, vigorous yeilds - Determinate, Grew in 2005 and it performed well in that cool year. Not Grown in 2006-2008. We would consider growing this one again. Low Seed Potency		8 ounces
Feld 67, Park 70, Pine 78, Ttom 67, Vrmt 70,		Celebrity Hybrid VFFNTASt, [AAS Winner] - plants grow 15 inches tall. Famous celebrity flavor that balances sugars and acids. Determinate. I know a lot of Casper growers have tried this one. Please let me know what you thought of it, positive or negative.		6 to 10 ounces
Gurn 84, Park 68, Ttom 68,		Better Bush Hybrid VFN - plants grow up to 24 inches on central stalk, real tomato taste. Determinate. Grown in 2006 with good production. 'Potato' leaves. Grown in 2007 with so-so production. Low Seed Potency		3 ounces
Stok 65,		Indy VFFST - Glove shaped, 'beefsteak' type, excellent taste, short stake, Determinate?		9 1/2 ounces
Varieties We Rate as Failures:		Daybreak, Oregon Spring, Legend,
Varieties We Rate as So-So:		WayAhead (09), Bush Champion (08), Cold Set(08), Orange Blossom (08), Bush Early Girl (Note: This is Bill Simpson's main tomato), Sun King Hybrid
Varieties Bill Simpson Rates as Failures:		Legend (07), SubArctic Plenty (07), Manitoba (04)
Varieties Bill Simpson Rates as So-So:		Mountain Delight (08), Oregon Spring (08), New Yorker (04)

Specialty Tomatoes:
Days to Maturity		Name - Description		Plant Height		Product
Recommend:
		Garden Huckleberry , a nightshade relative of the tomato. Start indoors and set out. Plants will only be an inch tall at set-out, but will grow quickly, treat like a tomato, fertilize well, each plant forms a tall 'cane' on which grow 1/4 inch berries so dark purple they look black. DO NOT PICK TOO EARLY. Wait until berries have been shiny for a week or two. Berries go through four distinct stages. 1. Green, 2. Purple w/green tinge, 3. Black-hard-shiny (not ripe yet), 4. Black-dull-softer to the touch (Ripe). Those stages are depicted below. Produces1/8 to 1/4 inch berries. Makes some of the best jam ever. Has thousands of tiny seeds per jar of jam. Folks with diverticulitis should not eat the jam.		?		?
Bakr ?,		Recommend Chichiquelite Huckleberry- Heirloom, a garden huckleberry that is smaller in size than the standard berry we have often grown. It also boasts heavier yeilds. Grown in 2007. Our starts failed in '08. We will grow this in '09. Very sweet on the vine and never bitter like the others. Vastly superior. Medium Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		3 to 5 feet tall		1/8 to 1/4 inch berry
Seed 77, Ttom 80,		Recommend Black Plum - Best small (plum) tomato for a true tomato taste, superb....more than superb. Grown in 2002-08. Will grow in '09. We think this is the best small tomato you can plant. Plants are vigorous and prolific. We will grow this instead of any cherry tomato. It's that good. High Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		3 to 6 feet		2 to 3 ounces
Burp 82,		Recommend Red Lightning - We have always grown pear tomatoes for their flavor. No More! We will grow Red Lightning instead. Plants are vigorous and prolific, producing 2" fruit that are delicious. Fruit has yellow, orange and bright red verticle streaks, similar to Red Zebra.High Seed Potency		3 to 6 feet		2 to 4 ounces
Considering:
Bakr 80, Jung 80, Nich 85, Shum 74, Ttom 74, Vrmt 74,		Amish Paste - Amish Paste was discovered by the Amish in Wisconsin over 100 years ago. Indeterminate. Heart shaped. One of the best tasting paste tomatoes. Indeterminates perform well in a warm season and not as well in a cool season. See the Determinate Tomato Section below.Medium Seed Potency ...Heirloom***		?		8 ounces
Burp 80,		Big Mama - Huge paste/salsa tomato, 5 X 3 inches, new for 2002, Big Mama does much better in Mark McAtee's back yard than it does in our main plots. Go figure. Indeterminate. High Seed Potency		3 to 5 feet		4 to 14 ounces
Shum 70, Ttom 70,		Sunny Goliath VFN, Big plants with big fruit, yellow flesh and more tart taste, superb! The plant is as vigorous as the original Goliath. We would consider growing this variety again. - indeterminate High Seed Potency		4 to 6 feet		10 to 15 ounces
Bakr 78,		Amana Orange -Big, 1 lb. fruit, with intense full flavor. Indeterminate. ...Heirloom***		?		16 ounces
Bakr 75,		Woodle Orange -Big, 1 lb. fruit, with intense full flavor. Indeterminate. ...Heirloom***		?		16 ounces
Bakr 75,		Chocolate Stripes -Big, fruit, and really big on flavor. Indeterminate. ...Heirloom***		?		? ounces
Bakr ?,		Black Giant -Big fruit, 6-14 ounces, people rave about its flavor. Highly productive vines. Indeterminate. ...Heirloom***		?		6 to 14 ounces
Ttom 70,		Totem Hybrid -plants grow just 18 to 30 inches tall, Determinate, heavy yielder. Grown in our home gardens in 2006 and 2007. This is a true patio tomato.		?		2 to 3 ounces
Varieties We Rate as Failures:		Early Cascade, Sweet Million, Suncherry, Sungold, Black Prince,
Varieties We Rate as So-So:		Red Pear (08), Yellow Pear (08), Sweet Baby Girl (07), Giant Valentine (06)

Watermelon

Watermelon is an ancient food. There is evicence that the Ancient Egyptians grew it. Watermelon will produce fruit in Wyoming. We had one come up volunteer in 2001 and it produced a delicious melon. They can be hard to get started. Set out as plants as soon as all danger of frost is past. Watermelons prefer soils that are 60 degrees Farenheit or warmer, so you may want to cover with plastic. Watermelon like lots of water and loose, friable soil, fairly rich in nitrogen. Plant only short season varieties.

Links: WHFoods, University of Illinois Extension, Ohio State University, Benefits of Watermelon,

Soils: Prefers loose soil, with lots of humus. Sandy is fine. Do not add fertilizer.

Companions: Potato

Germination: 94 percent when soils are 77 degrees.

Group: Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) Harvest when the curled tendril near the stem begins to dry up, when the surface color of the fruit turns dull, when the skin is rough and resists penetration, or when the part touching the ground turns from light green to a yellowish.

Planting: Set out or direct sew after all danger of frost has passed.

Click Here For Watermelon Size/Weight Chart

By Spring 2009 I was convinced that the way to grow watermelon in Wyoming is to give it an extra boost of heat, particularly during June, which is usually on the cool side. I did this by building a small tent over each bed. The ten allowed light to enter, but kept heat trapped inside. The watermelon seemed to like this. At the end of the season I got a note from a fellow gardener who raised her watermelons in a hill of pure horse manure. I think one reason she was successful was that the manure, like my tent, gave the watermelon a boost in heat. Also, from what I have been able to read, watermelons are probably the most demanding of all plants in the garden for good rich fertilizer. The horse manure probably filled that need.

Days to Maturity		Name - Description		Product
Recommend:
Bakr 70,		Recommend Melitopolski, - Red flesh, sweet, striped skin, from Volga River area of Russia. Slow to start, then came on strong later in the season after it got some heat. ...Heirloom***		10 inches
Have Grown In The Past, Still Considering:
Feld 85, Gurn 85, John 76, Jung 75, Pine 80, Seed 63, Shum 75, Stok 75, Terr 80, Vrmt 74,		Sugar Baby,- Red Fleshed, Sweet and flavorful. 7-8 inches, 8-10 lbs. Open Pollinated.		6 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Pine 79,		Glory Sugar, Dark red flesh, very sweet, very juicy, no cracks. The melon Bill Simpson gave us from the 2008 trials was one of the best watermelon we have eaten.		19 pounds
Bakr 85, Farm 80, Gurn 88, Jung 90, Nich 85, Shum 80, Seed 93, Stok 96, Vrmt 90,		Crimson Sweet,- AAS Winner 1964, Striped, deep red flesh is sweet and juicy, 10-12 inches, 25 lbs., vines produce 3 to 6 fruit. Grown in 2009, a cold season. Production was not great. The flavor on the ones we got was superb. Will grow again.		17 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Under Consideration:
Bakr 80,		Dixie Queen,- red fleshed. 40 lbs.		30 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Burp 78,		Million Bucks,- red fleshed. 25 lbs.		17 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Bakr 78,		Verona,- red fleshed. 20 lbs.		13 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Bakr 78, Shum 87,		Kleckley's Sweet,- red fleshed. 30 lbs.		20 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Bakr 78,		Fairfax,- red fleshed. 30 lbs.		20 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Gurn 87,		Sangria Hybrid,- red fleshed. 20-23 lbs.		14 lbs.(1/3 Rule)
Varieties We Rate as Failures:
Varieties We Rate as So-So:		Gypsy

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