Grafting Heirloom Watermelon

[TechGuy]

Hi- I have spent some time grafting tomatoes this spring and into summer. I was thinking about what else to graft when my Blacktail Mountain watermelon started to ripen. This watermelon has great flavor and it is easy to tell when it's ripe (dried curly cue or tendril). I like a watermelon that is sweet into the rind. It is also pretty crispy.

In my research I found that one could graft watermelon to various gourds and squashes. I had a lot of saved watermelon seeds and a large pile of bottle gourds. I decided to crack open a gourd and plant 20 gourd seeds and double plant about 20 watermelons.

I planted at the same time and left them in the full sun with good water. I brought them in and grafted a small batch 3 days ago and to my surprise not a one has wilted.

I decided to make this one handed how-to video of grafting the rest for anyone else wants to give it a try.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVpQ-T8uLfA

I am curious if anyone else is grafting watermelons and what rootstock you use.

I'ts a little late in the season (7/13) but I have a 70 ft long raised row on a hillside ready to receive these plants. My last frost date is around mid Nov. Hopefully they continue to do well.

[Tormato]

I don't graft watermelons, but I do have seeds for grafting stock; Tetsukabuto F1 winter squash. To me, that squash is too tasty to use as grafting material.

[TechGuy]

Originally Posted by Tormato

I don't graft watermelons, but I do have seeds for grafting stock; Tetsukabuto F1 winter squash. To me, that squash is too tasty to use as grafting material.

thanks for another option for rootstock