Cantaloupe seeds viable how many years?

In the summer of 2006, I harvested my gurneys cantaloupe and saved some of the seeds. They were the only variety of cantaloupe that I grew. Will the seeds still be good? Will they grow true, being as large and tasty as the parent plants? Thanks
Mike

Never know till you try. Properly stored they can remain viable for several years. Whether they will be true depends on whether neighbors were growing different cultivars of canteloupe. If bees could fly between the plants, they can be cross polinated.

Thanks Farmerdill. Definately no Cantaloupe within 1/2 mile from here.

Will they grow true, being as large and tasty as the parent plants?

Is "gurneys cantaloupe" a hybrid? If so that will also be a factor in what you get from those seeds. I'm assuming Gurney's is your source, do you remember what variety you bought? From what I recently saw in their catalog all their cantaloupes were hybrids.

Shoe

I think they were called Gurney's Giant Hybrid. Does that mean that they will not grow true since they are hybrid?

Yes. Hybrid seed will usually begat some form or forms of one of the parents, a mix of forms from the parents, or even create some type of "mutant" form. You may get fruit but there is no telling what traits it may have.

Non-hybrid, "open-pollinated" seed tends to breed true to form unless cross-pollination has occurred.

Hope this helps!
Shoe

Thanks shoe. I have read that apple seeds may grow a tree thats apples are barely eatible. Do you think that would be the case with cantaloupe or most likely just smaller or something?

Yes, that could easily happen with a hybrid (of any kind), cantaloupes included. Once in a while we hear of "hybrids" that seem to come true to type and some folks even wonder if they were only called hybrids to keep some of us from saving seed from them!

I'd hate for you to grow your melon plant for months only to end up with something terrible. But if you have the room I suppose it would be fun to go ahead and try your saved seeds and see what you end up with. And who knows, you may end up with an entirely new variety!

Shoe

Thanks Shoe.