Square Watermelons?

Rockporter · June 4, 2012

This is the neatest thing I have ever seen.

http://www.ufseeds.com/Growing-Squar...ons-Gard1.html

kurt · June 4, 2012

I saw a Tv type item where the Japanese were growing them this way for getting them to fit in thier small refrigerators.It saves on transporting,storage.Plus thet will not roll around.Maybe try making a small box for some large mater variety and it should do the same.Tomato living art.

Worth1 · June 4, 2012

I think it is cruel, how would you like to have your head stuck in a box as a baby.

Poor baby watermelon.

Worth

Rockporter · June 4, 2012

Worth, LOL, I just busted my gut.

and Kurt, I would like to try that sometime but I think my maters would succumb to the humidity and heat here.

salix · June 4, 2012

I like the little plastic forms that allow a zucchini or other squash develop into a gnome's face (or other funny faces).

Worth1 · June 4, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by salix

I like the little plastic forms that allow a zucchini or other squash develop into a gnome's face (or other funny faces).

That's it I'm outta here.

Next thing you know they'll start up foot binding again.

Worth

PaulF · June 4, 2012

My Dad told me about square melons he experienced in China and India during WWII. The locals would stack them high and sell them cheap to the G.I.s.

I tried it once and mine came out lopsided. Grew a pumpkin inside a box with a design on it hoping it would transfer to the pumpkin. Didn't work for me. Had a glob of skin but no design.

Crandrew · June 4, 2012

They tossed around this idea with apples in order to make them easier to ship in crates. I saw it in a documentary, but dont believe it ever took hold

**carolyn137** · June 4, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaulF

My Dad told me about square melons he experienced in China and India during WWII. The locals would stack them high and sell them cheap to the G.I.s.

I tried it once and mine came out lopsided. Grew a pumpkin inside a box with a design on it hoping it would transfer to the pumpkin. Didn't work for me. Had a glob of skin but no design.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&gs_nf=1...iw=757&bih=403

Paul, the general Google search I did indicated the the square watermelons were only offered for the first time about 10 years ago.

So I wonder about the ones your father experienced all those many years ago.

I know there was a bit of a craze quite a few years ago when plastic molds were sold and placed over immature fruits to create micky mouse and who knows what other different shapes.

kurt · June 4, 2012

I usually do not grow determintes here in S FL but wife makes me grow the black from tulas and this year a bunch of 5 of them came in real nice in one cluster close to the main stem and one grew around the main stem.The others were really close as to the point where two fused together .To pick had to cut them apart on vine.The wife loves watermelons,now the things are costing up to $8.00 for those seedless jobbers.Even the larger"seedless"are $6-8 bucs.If I could get square ones I imagine there would be no waste in cutting,easy square slicing.could get close to the rind.With the circular melons can not get the wife to get close to rind,she ends up throwing probaly 1/4 of good melon away.Hey we do almost anything to get a good mater"within reason"might as well grow some square ones to the list.

PaulF · June 4, 2012

Carolyn:

I know it was in the early 60's we finally got my father to talk about his war experiences and the square melon discussion took place in 63 or 64. If he dreamt it up he was way ahead of his time or it happened on a local scale and didn't catch on for google until later.

I tried to grow square melons in the early 70's in a wooden box; to no avail.

lakelady · June 5, 2012

Worth, you are too much!

I must really live a sheltered life to have never heard of these things! But very cool idea for watermelons!

JamesL · June 7, 2012

This is what you do with a square watermelon.....
http://watermelon.org/carvings/watermelon-keg-71.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/watermelon-sangria/

You can do it with a regular watermelon, but it would be much cooler in a square one!

Rockporter · June 7, 2012

LOL, I love it James, innovative to say the least.

kurt · June 7, 2012

I remember back in the day(70,s)at the park,keg of beer,iced watermelons with vodka/rum bottles stuck in them,waiting for them to infuse,everybody had a lid on them,couple tabs,listening to good old rock and roll,no cell phones,no beepers even then.Oh well just a dream.

June 4, 2012	#1
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	Square Watermelons? This is the neatest thing I have ever seen. http://www.ufseeds.com/Growing-Squar...ons-Gard1.html __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

June 4, 2012	#4
Rockporter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Texas Coastal Bend Posts: 3,205	Worth, LOL, I just busted my gut. and Kurt, I would like to try that sometime but I think my maters would succumb to the humidity and heat here. __________________ In the spring at the end of the day you should smell like dirt ~Margaret Atwood~

June 4, 2012	#7
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	My Dad told me about square melons he experienced in China and India during WWII. The locals would stack them high and sell them cheap to the G.I.s. I tried it once and mine came out lopsided. Grew a pumpkin inside a box with a design on it hoping it would transfer to the pumpkin. Didn't work for me. Had a glob of skin but no design. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

June 4, 2012	#11
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Carolyn: I know it was in the early 60's we finally got my father to talk about his war experiences and the square melon discussion took place in 63 or 64. If he dreamt it up he was way ahead of his time or it happened on a local scale and didn't catch on for google until later. I tried to grow square melons in the early 70's in a wooden box; to no avail. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

June 5, 2012	#12
lakelady Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: northern NJ zone 6b Posts: 1,862	Worth, you are too much! I must really live a sheltered life to have never heard of these things! But very cool idea for watermelons! __________________ Antoniette

June 4, 2012	#2
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,501	I saw a Tv type item where the Japanese were growing them this way for getting them to fit in thier small refrigerators.It saves on transporting,storage.Plus thet will not roll around.Maybe try making a small box for some large mater variety and it should do the same.Tomato living art.

June 4, 2012	#3
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I think it is cruel, how would you like to have your head stuck in a box as a baby. Poor baby watermelon. Worth

June 4, 2012	#5
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	I like the little plastic forms that allow a zucchini or other squash develop into a gnome's face (or other funny faces).

June 4, 2012	#8
Crandrew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: asdf Posts: 1,202	They tossed around this idea with apples in order to make them easier to ship in crates. I saw it in a documentary, but dont believe it ever took hold

June 7, 2012	#13
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	This is what you do with a square watermelon..... http://watermelon.org/carvings/watermelon-keg-71.aspx http://allrecipes.com/recipe/watermelon-sangria/ You can do it with a regular watermelon, but it would be much cooler in a square one!