Watermelon crosses

It loos like the gene for stars is dominant in the Moon and Stars watermelon. I grew it and several varieties last year (and saved seeds, which I planted this year). I see stars on a Fairfax watermelon plant's leaves, and also on a Wondermelon's (as well as, of course, on the Moon and Stars'). The Fairfax was potentially already crossed with something else from a previous year. So, I'm pretty excited to see what the hybrids are like:

* (Fairfax x ?) F2|Fairfax x Moon and Stars F1
* Wondermelon x Moon and Stars F1

There may be more varieties crossed with Moon and Stars, but some still need to grow big enough leaves to tell.

The first picture is Moon and Stars; the stars are there, but the picture didn't get them for some odd reason. The second picture is Fairfax, and the third is Wondermelon. It's bright outside; so, I can't see my screen very well; hence why I cut off a starred leaf on the last picture, and I didn't get the stars in the first.

[nathan125]

What ever came of the Fairfax/stars cross?

Good thing I saw this. I don't get notifications for most of the old threads I've participated in, even if I resubscribe, it seems.

Anyway, not much came of that cross. I had three new crosses with stars last year (but I didn't grow Moon and Stars itself). Those didn't turn out well, either! However, one of them pollinated my Weeks NC Giant cross, and it's doing okay, so far, this year. No fruit, yet. I do have seeds from some fruits with stars over the last couple years. Maybe from Fairfax x Moon and Stars. I'd have to check. Nope, but I do have seeds from the fruit I planted that produced that original cross (I'm sure some would have stars).

Moon and Stars x Fairfax would probably be a pretty late one. Moon and Stars never ripened well for me, and Fairfax, though a good variety, was late-ish, too. So, I'm grateful to have a watermelon with stars, this year, that is less closely related to Moon and Stars (in hopes that it will ripen faster).

The Weeks NC Giant cross with stars struggled a bit, and I nipped off the first fruit, since it wasn't pollinated ideally or some such, but the second fruit actually ripened by the season's end. I still haven't eaten it, yet.

Here it is (not giant, but that's not too surprising in the soil I grew it in):