Hi all!! I'm trying to help my Daddy locate some Heirloom Graystone Watermelon seeds. All I find mentioned is the modern hybrid and I can't even find access to those seeds. Would any of y'all know any long time farmers that might be willing to share a few seeds? He had kept seeds up until 2000 and his last seeds did not produce because of drought and he lost the last of his seed.

I have found mention of it in an article on Decoded Past blog on March 14, 2014 . It appears to have won a Gold Medal from AAS in 1933.

Any help or leads would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
Lana

Try rare seeds.com
😎😎😎

Also... Mozybeau farms
They both specialize in heirloom.
😎😎😎

Baker Creek, Willhite, Seed Savers Exchange, Johnnies and Territorial don't have it online. I didn't find it in USDA / GRIN / NPGS, but USDA may have it somewhere else. I couldn't get the Vavilov Institute search feature to work at all.

But Baker Creek has access to more heirlooms than they sell in any given year. I asked them about Citrullus lanatus 'Schochler' watermelon at one point and they didn't have it. But they offered it a year or two later! You might email them with a request.

These were helpful, or tried to be helpful, about the 'Schochler' watermelon:
Hollar Seeds
Sustainable Seed Company
Victory Seeds
High Mowing Seeds

I just sent an email to the AAS asking if they knew who might have some, including non-commercial sources.

I would email Dr. Todd Wehner at NCSU – Raleigh next. In fact, I SHOULD email him and ask if he would still like some 'Schochler' watermelon seed from Baker Creek.
http://cucurbitbreeding.com/to...
OK, I DID just email him a query.

Here are the places I asked about 'Schochler' watermelons, plus most of my search notes.

1. Texas Watermelon Association - - - - ?

2. http://www.localharvest.org/fo... - - - none yet, but we got 19 views

3. Abbot & Cobb http://abbottcobb.com/ - - - - ?

4.. USDA / ARS
Dr. Pederson USDA / ARS / NCGRP / PGRCU - Griffin, Georgia. - - - - - no
USDA, ARS, Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit
1109 Experiment St.
Griffin, GA 30223-1797
- - - -  Bob Jarret >> I think it would make a useful addition to the USDA collection – so we’d be pleased to add it,


Dr. Wehner - (NCSU – Raleigh) - - - - ?
Dr. McCreight - - (ARS-CA, Crop Improvement and Protection Research Research Leader) - - - no

5. SeedMan - - - - no - - seeds we tested last year from a farm did not germinate."
- - - - 2nd request to Jim: what farm supplied them last year?
- - - - Jim forwarded our request to that farm - - - ?

Baker Creek - - no, but interested
Sustainable Seed Company- - - - - - - No. Try USDA. If you do find that variety, please let us know!
Victory Seeds - no, but interested in conserving IF it can be stabilized .
[email protected] I think it would make a useful addition to the USDA collection – so we’d be pleased to add it,

Dr. Todd Wehner (NCSU – Raleigh) - ask him to ask Irina
Hollar Seeds - - - no - - http://www.hollarseeds.com/con... - try Griffin GA
High Mowing Seeds - - no, but Christy was very nice.
Willhite Melon Seed Farms - - no - - http://www.willhiteseed.com/ab...
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - no
SandHill - - - - - no
SSE - - - - - - - - no
localharvest.org - - no
Harris Seeds - - - - - no

@Farmerdill has contributed photos of Greystone watermelon to the plant database; maybe he can help with a source?

He added a comment in 2012 that said in part:
"In my opinion one of the best hybrid Charleston Grey types. ..."

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus 'Greystone')

I thought you were looking for an OP (1933 heirloom?) version?

Holar Seeds has the hybrid, but won;t sell it in the USA or Canada. I wonder why?
http://www.hollarseeds.com/sho...

I THINK Planters Guild sells the F1, but they have a huge minimum order size:
http://www.plantersguild.com/w...
"20 M / 20 Mx minimum seed order"

I guess you already found them and ruled them out!

Hello All,

I have been emailing with @LWWilkerson and thought that since other folks were chatting about this variety, I would pop an update message here . . .

As discussed, there are two melons with similar names. 'Greystone' is a modern hybrid and as already noted, it is not the same as the old Hasting's 'Graystone' (aka Gray Stone Mountain). If you are interested, I created a new database entry here - Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus 'Graystone'). I also included a scan from a Hasting's catalog so you can see the difference in fruit between the two varieties.

I talked with a seed supplier / farmer buddy of mine in Tennessee and he remembered his Granddad raising them. Although he did not have any in his collection, he quickly found a possible source. I will be requesting samples, he has agreed to grow them out for us if I can get him seed in time, and if all goes well, Victory Seed Co. may have them available for the 2018 gardening season.

As I mentioned to Lana in my email, it is too early to get super excited. There are a lot of variables, but we can cross fingers and be hopeful.

Best,

Mike

Good luck, Lana and Mike!

Thanks for explaining the old Hasting's 'Greystone' vs. 'Graystone' F1.

Wow!!! Y'all are amazing! Thank you all so much for the feed back and suggestions!! I have already checked with many of the companies you've suggested, joined Facebook groups and the like, in hopes of finding a longtime farm family that has the seeds. As @MikeD explained, he has amazingly found a lead with hopes of getting the seed. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this works out and we can revive this extinct fruit. My Daddy says it's the best watermelon he's ever had. He and his Dad farmed it back in the 40s and 50s. I wish I could express to you his excitement when I told him about the possibility of finding the seed. He is so hopeful!
Please continue to share any suggestions or information you might have with me.

Thanks again!!

The lady at AAS couldn't help:

Hello:

Thanks for your interest in Graystone Watermelon seeds. Unfortunately, the breeder is no longer in business and we do not know of anywhere you can find the seeds.

Good luck!

Gail


Gail Pabst
Marketing Coordinator

All-America Selection
National Garden Bureau

Thank you!

I hope MikeD gets lucky!

Seedsavers.org has a watermelon called Stone Mountain that sounds similar
Sorry just followed up and see its not the same thing

Tracy

I have seeds from my grand dads stock of graystone watermelons. Seeds from 1934 or later. If your are interested call 662 524 0072 and I will explain what I have and time line.
Robert Miller
[email protected]