seedless watermelons (forum)

nickg starts with ...
Hi Guys,
something that has been bugging me for a while! we have been able to buy seedless water melon from our supermarkets for a few years now [i never have, always bought the normal one with seeds] BUT melons are PROPERGATED BY SEEDS! and if there are no seeds, how are they grown! i suspect some sort of seed inhibitting hormone sprayed so seeds don't develop. to me its just another POISON that we unwittingly take. Don't get me wrong i'm no raving lunatic but it seams everthing fruit and veg we buy has some sort of chemical sprayed or applied to it. I realize the growers have to make a living but surely there must be a way of doing it more safely, it is 2013 not 1730. Sorry to babble on, but its just annoying. I am 60 so it will not make any difference to me, but what about my under 10yo grandkids?
Opions from the family would be appreciated.

Time: 22nd February 2013 7:42pm

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Coastie says...
Yes N. I have even bought seeds for seedless watermelon but have not planted them yet.Will my watermalons have seeds?

Time: 22nd February 2013 8:01pm

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About the Author coastie
gold coast
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Mike says...
It is easy to buy seeds of seedless watermelons and you will always see F1 written on them.The F1 generation is seedless and is a result of 2 seeded parents of genetic dispositions that cause fertility problems in their offspring.

Time: 22nd February 2013 9:01pm

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Cairns
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nickg says...
so this means that they are genetic modified? same as all this hoo ha about genetic modified grain crops we read about all the time. is this good for our health?

Time: 22nd February 2013 9:14pm

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Julie says...
No nick, they are hybridised, not genetically modified. There is a big difference.

So far, I don't think we have any GM fruit and veg in Australia. But a lot of our crops are from hybrids.

If you are really concerned, maybe you should be buying organic fruit.

Time: 22nd February 2013 9:30pm

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Original Post was last edited: 22nd February 2013 9:48pm

About the Author Julie
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Mike says...
It is the same principle as in egglaying chickens.The F1 of Rhode Island Red and New Hampshire is a premier egglayer of brown eggs and has a great food to egg production ratio.The F2 generation and the parent lines are just not as good.They must be continually crossed as with the watermelon.GM is about genetic manipulation and the insertion of genes rather than selective breeding the old fashioned way.

Time: 22nd February 2013 9:56pm

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Jason says...
I was talking to the owner of a fruit shop regarding the crap flavour of seedless watermelons and how its hard to get a good one these days. He agreed but he told me he bought 3 tons of seeded melons last year which were sublime in flavour but no one would by them and they went rotten he said no one even remembers that they taste better anymore. He reckons like I do that its the greatest tragedy
that's ever happened to fruit growing by the commercial scammers.

Time: 22nd February 2013 11:14pm

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Original Post was last edited: 22nd February 2013 11:20pm

About the Author Jason
portland
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nickg says...
Thanks guys, maybe i was barking up yhe wrong tree.

Time: 22nd February 2013 11:49pm

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John Mc says...
From the net:
Watermelon breeders discovered that crossing a diploid plant (bearing the standard two sets of chromosomes) with a tetraploid plant (having four sets of chromosomes) results in a fruit that produces a triploid seed. (it has three sets of chromosomes). This seed grows fruit that rarely develops seeds, although you may find some empty white seed coats. The melon's flesh is firmer because the usual softening of the fruit around the seeds does not occur.



Time: 23rd February 2013 9:11am

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About the Author JohnMc1
Warnervale NSW
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Julie says...
Jason, my granddaughter has been brought up on seedless grapes, so now won't eat grapes with seeds. I think we have a whole new generation that will maybe never know what real food tastes like - unless they have a relative who is a good gardener.

Jamie Oliver says English kids don't like strawberries. What? Because they have only eaten the crap fruit from the shops. That's why he encourages people to grow their own.

Time: 23rd February 2013 8:37pm

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About the Author Julie
Roleystone WA
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