Has anybody tried square watermelons?

It's big in Japan, anybody tried it?

The young fruits were probably grown in a box or a mold.I have done that to gourds and they have taken the form of the mold.

They are grown in molds. I believe the molds are available commercially. Too much work for a novelty item for me. Watermelon carving is also big in Japan. Don't know why because they are more transient than ice sculpures. I am past the growing cukes in bottle stage of life, but it sure was fun when I was a kid.

I think they grow them in plexiglass "cages" to get that shape. I was suprised to read they do this on a commercial scale.

Space is a huge premium in Japan, even moreso than New York. Refrigerators are small and round melons are a very inefficient use of space. Also, disposable income is much higher, so high prices are paid for produce.

I am picky about the flavor of things. Last fall, I did find those Dulcinea Pureheart Watermelons to be pretty good. This year, I have avoided the melons from the "Valley" and Mexico. I bought a very striking looking Hempstead seeded watermelon and it's fantastic. Hempstead, TX has a watermelon festival every year in July and produces fantastic melons. VERY large seeds. Very light green with dark green staggered stripes, very elonged melon. If I had all the space in the world, I'd just save the seeds, bring in truckloads of horse pucky, and plant. :)

I really do want to try to make it to one of the watermelon festivals in S.E. Texas. With the drought this year, there should be some fantastic melons.

I've never tried it before. I have heard of it being done though. LOL!!!

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/15/square.watermelon/index.html

The Japanese also bag apples and pears on the trees and graft watermelons to gourd roots. I tried 2 grafts on watermelons plants and failed to get a union on one and I broke the other one.

What's odd about bagging fruit on the trees?

The extent and meticulous detail they do these things by.

these aren't for eating. They are very expensive and used to decorate executives offices. I did see a mold in the shape of Nixon's face to grow squash in once. :-)

Someone at my market is trying this. Showed me the box.

Like Farmerdill, I don't want to bother with all the work, I'd rather try to grow good but not commonly found melons.

BB

My first thought was how much space they would save the commercial shipper.

They're not for eating???

too expensive to eat ! more like a corprate gift!

I read where they were about $25.