9 Melon Varieties To Keep In Mind
As demands shift, vegetable seed breeders evolve in supplying selections with eye-catching color, preferred shape, full flavor, and enhanced disease tolerance.
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Ana -- Seedway
'Ana' is a personal size watermelon with an average weight of 6 to 7 pounds. It has an attractive dark rind that displays well and a dark-red interior that is sweet and firm. The rind thickness is nicely proportional to the fruit size. 'Ana' matures early at 80 days.
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Belmont -- Sakata
'Belmont' is our first mini triploid that exhibits first place taste and quality with extremely deep-red flesh color, excellent demarcation, very uniform, and productive with small pips. Plus, very strong and vigorous vines coupled with excellent yield potential make this smaller triploid a true winner for growers.
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Captivation -- Siegers Seed Co.
'Captivation' is a Crimson Sweet type, uniform, and has improved fruit set for high-yield potential. It has strong disease resistance and plant growth habit. The variety is suitable for both fresh market and fresh-cut use. It is mostly 45-count ideal for the whole fruit markets.
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Cut Above -- Clifton Seed
This exclusive new variety has it all — high brix, small seed pips, excellent shipping capabilities and good shelflife. The 15- to 17-pound, round-to-oval fruit has a standard triploid rind pattern and bright red, crisp flesh. 'Cut Above' has shown wide adaptability and has performed very well in trials in Georgia and Florida.
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Excursion -- Clifton Seed
An early- to mid-maturing seedless variety, 'Excursion' performs well even in challenging conditions to meet market demands. It produces large, oval-shaped fruit with deep red flesh that matures up to seven days earlier than the current standard varieties. Under conditions favorable to water ring, 'Excursion' has shown minimal issues as compared to standard watermelon varieties.
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Infinite Gold -- Clifton Seed Co. & Sakata
The newest trend in cantaloupe, this variety has been bred for long shelflife and strong performance without sacrificing great quality and taste. The vigorous plant produces a high yield potential of uniform, round/oval fruit with firm, dark-orange flesh. 'Infinite Gold' has high resistance to fusarium wilt races 0-2 and powdery mildew race 2.
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Kingman -- Sakata
'Kingman' wins! Results from the University Of Georgia Variety Evaluation 2016 have been published. 'Kingman,' a crimson triploid with tiny pips has been named top yielder of the trial as well as the 36-count category. The trial was held in Tifton, GA, this summer. 'Kingman,' an excellent main-season choice, represents the next generation of seedless watermelon offering triple the benefit and superior traits of mid-early maturity, very firm, bright red, tasty flesh, and delicious flavor.
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Maxima -- Seedway
'Maxima' is a full-season crimson with an eye-catching dark crimson rind. 'Maxima' yields 36-count fruit with an average weight of 19 to 22 pounds. The fruit is firm with a dark-red interior and long shelflife. 'Maxima' sets freely on a strong vine for excellent yield potential. It matures in 90 days.
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Sweet Polly -- Siegers Seed Co.
'Sweet Polly' is a medium-large triploid with exceptional rind, appearance, and flesh qualities. Its flesh is dark red, firm, and the plants produce a strong vine. It has small pips. It has resistance to Fusarium Wilt and Anthracnose Race 1. 'Sweet Polly' produces mostly 45 count.
View all
Ana -- Seedway
Belmont -- Sakata
Captivation -- Siegers Seed Co.
Cut Above -- Clifton Seed
Excursion -- Clifton Seed
Infinite Gold -- Clifton Seed Co. & Sakata
Kingman -- Sakata
Maxima -- Seedway
Sweet Polly -- Siegers Seed Co.
Peruse the photo gallery above to view some of the latest watermelon and cantaloupe varieties available on the market.
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Paul Rusnak is the Senior Online Editor of American Vegetable Grower, American Fruit Grower, and Greenhouse Grower magazines, all Meister Media Worldwide brands. He is based in Northeast Florida. See all author stories here.