Was googling about wild watermelon and came across kordofan melon that, based on recent studies, the closest wild relative to domesticated watermelon. Tried googling for seeds, but it seems there are none available. Interested if anyone has grown or has some info about this species besides what google gives. It seems good for breeding since it doesn’t have bitterness as other close relatives to watermelon.
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You have brought this to my attention. I have researched it further and have become very interested.
Is this it?
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=10675
I hope there’s plenty in stock.
That link did not work.
The last link works for me but it’s wrong, brings to the wrong page.
Just in case this new link doesn’t work, here is the item number to search GRIN: PI 254624
https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/accessiondetail?id=1195488
“Grown in central and northern Kordofan. Flesh white; seeds red; quality poor, but can be stored for long periods”
Donated “18 December 1958. Khartoum, Sudan”
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How is the kordofan melon different from citrons/jam melons? They also grow like weeds compared to the sweet mutant melons most people think of as normal. Store for many months as well. Crossing citrons to watermelons is easy to get started, but if you want to select back to a sweet dessert type fruit you have a non-trivial job ahead of you.
That’s what I would be interested. Being non bitter is one hurdle less. Articles I’ve read talked about some disease resistance. It just seem like it hasn’t been used much in breeding. I’ve seen other people working with crossing other species so I don’t think I need to do that, but would be nice to have some wild genes in my own landrace.
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Seems like it doesn’t open grin for me at all, even the main page. Tried even vpn, but doesn’t seem to be geoblocking.
Ok, now I could open it.
This is my thinking on it as well. I imagined growing the jam melon and various sweet melons together. The first year I could harvest for jam and sweet melon and enjoy the benefits of both. Then every year after enjoy the infinite possibilities of what could or may develop.
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Have you seen this project breeding citron and watermelon? I think they welcome new participants still. Although they may prefer short season climates.
https://experimentalfarmnetwork.org/project/24
I am not convinced we have identified the real kordofan. Regardless, I’ve identified another source of Jam melon. This website has an interesting description of the characteristics. I’ve pasted part of it here and the link:
“Citron melons create the most delicious homemade jams after peeling the melon rind, de-seeding and chopping. Vanilla and sugar are added to a bowl of chopped citron melon; or ginger, lemon, mandarin, melon, and sugar as another option. Left overnight to soak and mingle the flavors, they turn into a syrupy fruit mash that is gently simmered for about 45 minutes, turning a gorgeous translucent yellow and filling the house with the scent of sugar and spices.
Here is the exact Melon d’Espagne Jam from the Medoc region in the south of France that has been handed down for generations –
2 - 3 lb Citron melon, peeled, de-seeded and sliced into chunks
2 cups sugar
1 thinly sliced lemon
Thumb-sized piece of ginger, finely sliced
Add melon chunks, lemon slices, and ginger slices to a large bowl and mix well. Add sugar and mix again. Cover with cling film and let set overnight to macerate.
The next morning, cook on low heat, stirring every few minutes, for about 40 - 45 minutes, or until the consistency is thick and glossy. Pour jam into sterilized glass jars and leave to cool before closing.
Be careful not to overcook, as the jam will become stiff and pasty.”
I made citron and rosella jam years ago. Deseeding is a bit time consuming (but less work than processing rosella calyxes which often bite back). Turned out lovely, set easily, but I don’t bother making jam any more since it is too much sugar (and I don’t eat bread anymore either).
The people in the Kalahari cultivate citron melons as an emergency water storage for drought times. I wonder if there are other potential uses for the bland, easily stored flesh. It reminds me a bit of wax melons being used as a winter storage vegetable in some asian cultures.
I just ordered some jam melon from that seed company. They have such good descriptions.
“This ancient landrace pumpkin from the Everglades has been loved and grown for centuries, beginning with the Seminole tribes and later by gardeners across Florida. It shrugs off heat, humidity, and most diseases and insects that drop other pumpkins, yet it is consistently the last producing pumpkin in the northern gardens of Cape Cod.”
I will plant some of the seeds this year and hopefully they will produce pollen fast enough to contribute to this years sweet melon crop.
I look forward to trying the jams and maybe mixing with pumpkin or ground cherry. I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to cooking but looking forward to the experiences to come.
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Don’t think this is kordofan melon, but run into what looks like wild/feral melon in c.lannatus species. They have several wild species of citrullus and cucumis, and only cucumis melo has variety names so I would assume others wild/feral forms of those species. Ofcourse those are out of stock currently, but have to keep an eye out for them and look into some of those cucumis species if there would be change to make interspecies hybrids.
I managed to get one fruit with maturish seeds. I am no longer interested in this project. I will stick to sweet melons. PM if interested in the seeds.
Those red seeds look interesting.
We got something similar here. Traditionally those watermelons are breed for making “candied fruit”. I bought a package to try to sow next year. The package says the fruit contains a lot of dark green seed. I can not find anything about them on the internet. At least they may have different genetics as my regular watermelons.
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Those red seeded are usually citrullus caffer (citron melon) that is slightly complicated if they cross with regular watermelon as they don’t taste as good fresh. They would need separated population if target is to breed them into watermelon. I have seen some normal watermelon with pinkish seeds so it’s not only in them, but darker red seeds atleast should be.
Your seeds package says citrullus lanatus, but are you saying it should be for making preserves? If it’s not sweet watermelon it might be better to grow in isolation and manually intruduce pollen from sweet watermelon.
This is the description on the website:
Confited pumpkin
Description
Citrullus lanatus – Phytogenetic resource
Origin: Ca Na Justa, Porreres, Mallorca
Despite the name, it is a green watermelon, which turns yellow-white when ripe. White flesh and cork texture. It is used to make pumpkin (candied fruit). It has many dark green seeds.
You can start sowing in mid-May, until the end of June. Harvesting takes place from September. The sowing distance is 1-1.5 m between plants, and 2 m between rows.
Envelope weight: 5.3 g. Approximately 30 units.
Yep, they did no say it is sweet watermelon.
I need to separate them like the Armenian ‘melon’, sweet corn, hot peppers, pilgrim pumpkin?, decorative pumpkins…
