I have one watermelon that has been sitting on my counter since last summer. My first question is: is it normal for a watermelon to keep for this long without any special precautions?
Second: I assume the seeds inside this watermelon will still be good? I’m super add and I’m always putting things off, like eating this watermelon. 
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Hi Jeremy, that makes me think about citron melon, or maybe a cross with a citron melon? … They keep for a very long time. That happened to me in 2022-2023 winter with a forage watermelon… Really really long shelf life, even if outside: many freezes until it eventually start rotting, around march.
Or maybe here you have a super long storage watermelon?!? I have the Kholodok strain, supposed to be originating from a cross with a citron melon… Mine lasted for about 3-4 months: harvested around the 1st of september, last eaten around the 15th of december… Very mildly sweet, far from excellent actually… Navajo Winter is much better even if it is has shorter shelf life: 2-3 montys in my case…
Let us know when you taste it!!!
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This came from the serendipity seed swap and was labeled Weeks watermelon. I believe it was a grex or landrace. I’m sure it tastes terrible by now, but I just thought it was wild that it still looks exactly the same as it did in July of last year.
I noticed that good from outside doesn’t mean good from inside. One watermelon that I opened after 4 months of storage had shrunk from the inside, and although it wasn’t spoiled per se, there was barely anything to eat. Seeds still ok thought. In a local facebook group I saw some that had been opened after similar storage and looked just like a fresh. best I had was fresh looking after 2,5 months. Most of mine I only opened after 1-2,5 months from picking. Some of those had weird changes around seeds. Part of the flesh had changed from crushy to jelly and shrunk around seeds. I suspect that that’s first signs of that watermalon not being very good for storage. Taste still at that time was ok, but not as good as best so it will be a trait that I’ll try to eliminate at some point.
Yes, long storage time is good! Seeds should be just fine, its just really messy to clean and dry them. Cut that melon open and see what it looks like inside!! Complete a germination test, place about 5 seeds inside a folded wet paper towel and place in a plastic bag ir jar, check after 7 days or so to see if any seeds have sprouted.
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