(I am looking for a source for the Cochiti melon which is an heirloom featured in Amy Goldman's book on melons. I don't want the mix offered by the group out of Tucson.)

The most obvious place for me to look was the SSE Yearbooks and at least in the 2003 edition, I didnj't check back editions, neither Amy nor anyone else is listing it.

Since some of her featured varieties are privately acqured there is no commercial source for some of them.

You say you don't want the mix from Native Seeds/Search but do they mention it and carry it even in a mix?. I'd answer that question for myself but have no idea where my seed listings are for them right now.

if you are desperate for it why don't you e-mail Amy off her website and ask her if there is a commercial source. She is a good friend and thus we share info, and I know that she with melon seed and I with heirloom tomato seed don't want to become seed sourrces for the public but she just might know if there is a commercial source for that melon.

She's been out of town and I don't know if she's back yet for neither of us have checked in after the Holidays. (smile)

Two other sources you can check out where they feature lots of melons, and I'd wait for the 2004 offerings, are Baker Creek and Sand Hill Preservation. Jere at the former lists lots of melons, and Glenn Drowns at the latter is the Curator of Cucurbits for SSE although he lists few publically, offering most of them thru his SSE listings. Both Jere and Glenn are SSE members and neither one listed your melon in the 2003 SSE Yearbook.

Carolyn

Thanks, for your help. I did e-mail Amy and offered to trade with no responce. So she may be out of town. The Native Seed Search is strictly a mix. I am waiting for the other two to put out their catalogs as I purchase from both.

bucks,
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has their 2004 online seed catalog finished, if I'm not mistaken. They have quite a few interesting new melons offered. I don't recall if they offer the one you are looking for.

Douglas(who better order from Baker Creek soon before they run out of Early Fame Prescott seed)

Early Fame Prescott seed)

And I bet the Early Frame Prescott seed gives you melons that are just as good as the one you just mentioned.

Sorry, Doug, I just couldn't help myself there. LOL

It must be the frigid temps and wind and blinding snow squalls and also the thought that I have to now go out and replenish the suet cakes for those birdies, the black oil sunflower birdies being taken care of already.

Brrrrrr,
Carolyn

Carolyn,
Yeah that's the melon I meant. I just placed my order to Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds today for 10 melon varieties.
I'm proud that I haven't procrastinated this time.
We just had a couple nights of 15 below, so I know what you mean about the cold. We haven't had much snow yet, though.

bucks,
I came a cross a melon variety called 'Jakes', and I think in the originated in the southwestern U.S. I don't know if it's anything similar to what you are looking for, but I thought I'd mention it.

Douglas

bucks: were you ever able to get seeds for this melon ? my wife wants to grow it as well. I'd be grateful for even 3-4 seeds, if you'd be able to spare some. Thanks in advance. My email is wperrier@charter.net.

No I have not and it has been very sad for me. I have about 100 types and I like to add to my collection. Since I am from the Southwest, I think that this one will do very well here as melons love the heat. Amy Goldman never responded, and I am not an SSE member.

bucks,
I, too, would be interested in this melon because I live only about 150 miles from "Cochiti Pueblo" and ,therefore, expect that it would grow well here at Gallup, New Mexico. Although we are a couple thousand feet higher elevation (6510 feet).

Please let me know by email if you find a "seed source":
TwinButtes66@hotmail.com

Best Regards,
Bruce (Junkmanme on Garden Web)

Even if you were a SSE member it would be hard to get. The one person offering it this year has Limited Quantities, so it is only offered to people with listings of their own in the catalog. And that person states that the number of offerings they make will decrease in future years so some varieties may not be offered again by them.

I'm looking at my 2005 SSE Yearbook right now and that melon is offered by Neil Lockhart and it is Limited Quantity which does mean only listed SSE members can request it.

For Cochiti Pueblo he says:

85 days, melons average about 6# each with sweet orange flesh, good yield.

Only in the blurb next to his name does he talk about decreased listings and knowing Neil as I do I think he's referring primarily to his tomato listings. which have gotten quite out of hand. (smile)

Today I'll be talking with Glenn Drowns ( Sandhill Preservation online) who is curator of cucurbits for SSE and I'll try to talk him into producing seed for this melon and offering it in his public catalog/website some time in the future.

Carolyn

Carolyn

I did speak with Glenn today about this melon and Fordhook Gem.

He said he'll see what he can do in the future but Cochiti does not grow well at all where he lives.

he said that SSE itself was going to make some of Amy's selections available,but that has not yet happened and he doesn't know when and if it will.

Carolyn

I am happy to say that more than a year later, I have the precious seeds. I do not know how well they will germinate, as I do not know how old they are, but I will give it a good try, and at the end of the summer will share seeds with all who contact me at that time. To say the least I am on cloud nine, as this is like a fairy tale come true. The story will end when I have the next crop of seeds to plant.

Does anyone have this seed and is willing to trade?