trying to find watermelon

[reavilh]

I can remember as a child, my grandfather grew a watermelon that was about 1/3 bigger than a softball. I do remember he saved seed every year. They were green with small yellow spots, and the sweetest I have ever tasted. Any idea what they might have been. It might also help I live in central MO.

[faye53]

Those are called "moon and stars" and your right they are wonderful.

[reavilh]

Thanks a bunch, Found them in the catalouge

[the_pumpkin_queen]

I thought Moon and Stars were MUCH larger than that....

[zachsierke]

Try moon and stars from seeds of change. their strain is smaller than normal from my experience.

[axhandle]

You got that one!
Moon and Stars are just about gone here, last one's Iplanted were outstanding!
Saved the seeds but lost track the next year.
Ax

[reubenT]

there seems to be quite a bit of variation in different strains of moon and stars. I have 3 kinds now, one the regular one from a seed company, another one called ice cream which is supposed to taste like icecream instead of watermelon, and a third dubbed jerimiah bullfrog wich I suspect is a variation on the ice cream melon. We've grown the regular one before and it got quite large, about average for a nice sized watermelon. maybe 30 lb, I think they're listed as getting up to 50 lb.

[carolyn137]

I thought Moon and Stars were MUCH larger than that....


I agree.

If the melon being sought is just about 1/3 larger than a softball then it isn't M and S as I see it. And to my way of thinking if Seeds of Change is offering something about 1/3 larger than a softball and selling it as M and S I have to wonder.

There are other melons, as I recall, that have spots but I'm not in the mood right now to go digging in my SSE YEarbooks to check.:)

Have any of you grown that one being sold by Seeds of Change and if so how big were the melons and can you really say that it's M and S?

Carolyn, natural doubter.:D

[mjc]

Seeds of Change description

Moon & Stars Watermelon - Pack
Citrullus lanatus
Heirloom
3-5 lbs. Tender Annual

Probably the most beautiful melon, it was feared lost, but was rediscovered in Missouri. Large oval fruits are splashed with bright yellow, reminiscent of moon and stars. Flesh is red and very sweet, leaves are also splashed with yellow. Direct seed in garden in rows 4-6 feet apart when danger of frost has passed. Likes to be planted in clusters with 3-4 plants per group. Deeply fertile soil produces optimum yield of fruits. Enrich soil with compost. Harvesting tip: stem turns brown and separates easily from the melon when ripe.

Jere's description...
Moon and Stars
95 days Legendary Heirloom Variety rediscovered in Macon, Missouri. Can grow to over 40 lbs. The dark green rind has bright yellow spots on it! Spots range in size from tiny to several inches across. Leaves are also specked in yellow. It has very sweet, brilliant red flesh. This is becoming one of the most popular Heirloom varieties, a winner! Originally introduced by Peter Henderson & Co. in 1926, it was called "SUN, MOON AND STARS." The catalog says, "... an extraordinary variation...and that it has such a delicious taste." It was sold then for 20 cents a pkt. Unique variety!

If he'd been saving the seed for a while, then it could be something that was unique.

[carolyn137]

And here's the info about Moon and Stars from the SSE Public catalog:


Members of the Seed Savers Exchange searched for almost a decade before Kent Whealy rediscovered this legendary watermelon on Merle Van Doren’s farm near Macon, Missouri, where it had been brought from Tennessee. The early history of Moon and Stars is unknown. Henry Fields (Shenandoah, Iowa) and Robinson Seed Co. (Waterloo, Nebraska) both offered it during the 1930s. The medium-sized oval dark green fruits are covered with pea-sized bright yellow “stars” and usually one larger “moon.” The fruits have sweet pink flesh and brown seeds. Foliage is also spotted. 88–90 days.

****

And fruits should be in the 20-40# range, depending.

There are lots of different versions of M and S around now, some brown seeded, some not. Here's some that SSE members list in the Yearbook:

Moon and Stars
Moon and Stars, Amish
Moon and Stars, Cherokee
Moon and Stars, early
Moon and Stars, Long Milky Way
Moon and Stars, Moons of Jupiter
Moon and Stars, White Seeded
Moon and Stars, Yellow Flesh

........and all of them in the 15-20 to-40 # range depending on where grown and in any particular season.

Carolyn

[mjc]

Any other relatives who may know a bit more about what he grew?

The thing I find interesting is that both the Seeds of Change and the SSE versions claim to be from MO...but they are so different in size.

[redneckplanter]

could that be from the possibility of different crosses wayyy back in the day?
for you super pros would each strain now be considered a stabilized cross?
or still on ongoing changing varient>?
rnp

[American_Gardener]

The thing I find interesting is that both the Seeds of Change and the SSE versions claim to be from MO...but they are so different in size.

They even have different flesh colors now too. The stories i've heard all say from MO too. There's plenty of info on Moon and stars out there on the net. Even some of the people here have been growing em for years.. so you should be able to find out alot.

Dave