HOW MANY SEED IN A WATERMELON???

[Stimw]

Well I have always seen HUNDREDS!
I bought a pack of watermelon seeds for $1.57 distributed by a well known company that starts with a "B". THERE WERE 7 SEEDS IN THE PACK!!
I assumed it was a mistake so I sent them an email. They answered they would replace the pack. I got the replacement today, 7 SEEDS!!
My advice, buy a nice watermelon and save the seeds! I dumped rind and seeds in my compost pile last year and had melon vines going everywhere!

 

[Western]

I got pretty much the same thing from the "B" company, but I had ordered the giant and I assumed they came with fewer seeds???

 

[DFB]

Best hope you get a good germination rate!

Curious to which variety of watermelon. Small seed packs are usually never very economical anyhow.

And open pollinated types normally are less expensive and usually have more seeds per ounce.

We dont grow many watermelons up north here where I am. Mainly we just go to Walmart and get 'em

But a quick look thru my commercial catalogs most hybrid watermelon seeds in general aren't very cheap even in larger quantities. A few types factored to $0.04- .05 per seed by volume $10-$12 for 250 seeds but most avg prices range from around $0.10 -$0.30 per seed (Harris, Holmes, Johhnys) and even up to $0.40 ea. (Rupps) or $10.95 to $41.00 per 100 count pkgs for the most popular diaploid and triploid varieties and thats not including shipping charges. Of course it always gets less expensive buying by volume (Seedway has a 1m min) and most all suppliers require commercial buyers to sign non performance waiver/release forms on watermelon seeds too because of serious disease problems mostly below the 40th parallel. Stokes Seeds now limits their small pkg lots to only few varieties of watermelon because of this.

I used to buy all my eggplant seed from that B company because I always thought it one of best to grow but some years ago they did away with their commercial division and the last time out I was told if I wanted that one hybrid seed I had to buy it all in their little packets with no volume discount and I needed at least 300 seeds. Obviously never again.

 

[Gunny]

I try to raise as many heirloom plants as I can, simply to save the seeds from year to year. I've got a large greenhouse on the end of the garage, so I just plant a lot more seeds than I need, what doesn't germinate, the seeding mix just gets recycled, if more come up than I need, I give them away or pitch them. There are a lot of hybrids I like to raise, so I just suck it up every year and buy those seeds. I love the taste of the seedless cucumbers, but since they don't have seeds, I wouldn't have any to save, even if they weren't hybrids.

 

[jinman]

Well I have always seen HUNDREDS!
I bought a pack of watermelon seeds for $1.57 distributed by a well known company that starts with a "B". THERE WERE 7 SEEDS IN THE PACK!!

Of course the 7 seeds seem like little for $1.57, but I wouldn't save 7 seeds and pack them into a printed envelope while keeping them in storage for the same price. Sure, the seed company has thousands of these seed packs and probably sells 3/4 of their inventory each year. I'm just sayin' that the "B-company" only can sell at that price because they do thousands (maybe millions) of seed packs. For me, I can buy three seed packs all different varieties and put 2 seeds in each hill for 10 hills of watermelons. If I get a good crop, that's more watermelons than I can give away. If they put 20 seeds in each pack, I'd end up throwing them away. I'm far more upset with the number of bean, pea, and okra seeds they put into a package. I plant far more of those plants. The number of seeds in watermelons, cantaloupes, squash, cucumbers, and pumpkins is minimum, but they are still cheaper and less hassle to buy than saving and preserving seeds for myself. You have to figure at some point, there's a minimum price for any number of seeds in a pack. I have pretty good luck buying vegetable and flower seeds at Walmart in their dollar packs, but I'm a bit disappointed when I look at the number of seeds in melons and pumpkins. So, I agree its a shock counting seeds, but what are you gonna do?:confused3:

 

[Gunny]

On another point, but somewhat inline with the topic, why do they charge so much shipping and handling for their seeds? I was going to order the 4 packs of seeds I normally order and they wanted $7.95 for S&H, so I emptied the basket, was done with it. A couple of days later, I got an email for returning customers offering free shipping for two days only, so I went back and ordered. Four packs of seed came in an oversize envelope, $1.52 postage! But at least I've got my seedless cukes for this summer.

 

[Ted Summey]

If your original watermelon is an heirloom variety then the fruit will be the same as the original. If your original melon is a hybrid, the result of planting seed saved may or not be the same as the original. Seed saved from hybrids do not consistently produce fruit as well. If you want to save seed for use in subseqent seasons, use heirloom varieties for best results. If not, you are better off yield wise to purchase new seed annually.