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Reelfoot Lake, Tennessee

MWG, thanks for the photo of the Fiona void. Before asking, I acknowledge that this is a simple-minded, moronic question, but I'll ask anyway:

Knowing what you now know, is there anything you could have done to mitigate the natural causes of Fiona's void.

Regards, Clutch

9/27/2018 12:14:30 AM

Eastern Shore of VA

Didn’t you say you heard a cracking noise when you tried to move it once ?
Hollow heart has been an issue for awhile with big melons.
I think that was what brotherdave was trying to experiment with this year.

9/27/2018 6:17:20 AM

NE Arkansas

I'm gonna express my opinion on air pockets and HH.
In my opinion the air pocket is caused by
A) The inners can't keep up with the outer shell growth
B) Once the melon ripens inside (Roughly dap 60) and the shell continues to grow (Up to DAP 130 in some cases) it simply pulls the lobes apart and causes the air pocket.

9/27/2018 10:59:54 AM

west central IN/East central IL

not an expert, but it looks like as they flatten top and bottom the gap start there. the larger and more flat the mellon the larger the gap. keep them round.

9/27/2018 3:28:20 PM

South Arkansas

I concur with Jeremy. This seems to be common in really big watermelons and this was a really big watermelon. It might have been light to a chart but the weight was huge. I hope Joseph can do a repeat again next year with more huge healthy vines and huge melons.

9/27/2018 4:18:53 PM

Princeton Kentucky

Yes, at first I heard a crack moving Mr. Hankey, my daughters watermelon then when they moved Fiona yes she too made a heck of a few cracking noises. Don't really know at this point except maybe it was when we started to have 50 degree temps at night and cloudy weather all those days which led to her basically standing still on real growth. She picked back up with some real good numbers but I have no clue really on the void. The days of growing on boards is way behind me in the rear view mirror! I already have the netting and scales for 5 melons. Will build my growing hammocks with front and back moving capabilities this fall & winter to ease stem stress. I agree with everyone who has said flat tops = air pockets. Don't know if I've ever said it but there is a huge tree 50' to the east of the patch that blocks sunlight until 10:30 am...its coming out for sure but I am replanting 4 trees to replace it somewhere else. More sun more growth.

9/29/2018 5:39:42 PM

formerly RGG

Joseph, I believe too much sun can age plants and limit growth. Chris Kent's old place was fairly shady and he grew his first world record there. I had lots of sun in the middle of my back yard but my personal best was grown in partial shade next to woods at the bottom of my lot. My second largest melon was grown at the top of my back yard up close to my house where it grew in considerable shade. I also used to have the philosophy the more sun the better. I no longer believe that. Long hours of daylight are great for plant growth but lots of hours of direct sunshine I no longer think is the answer to growing the biggest Carolina Cross melons. I think the leaves do not need long hours of direct sunlight to produce photosynthesis at their top potential but I do believe long hours of direct sunshine makes melon plants age faster and thus actually reduces final melon size. And CC plants need to remain vigorous for much longer than average watermelon plants.

9/30/2018 4:32:19 AM

Princeton Kentucky

Dennis that something to consider for sure. I forgot to mention that on the west side of my patch I have a barn & grain silo's that shade the patch in the late afternoon/6:00 pm, too. I actually think that western shade is like your talking about especially the hottest days so the leaves & melons can cool down earlier.

9/30/2018 7:21:15 AM