This is one of the largest watermelon varieties. The only larger ones I kn...Read Moreow about include Carolina Cross, North Carolina Giant and Iwanaga Giant.
Quoting giantwatermelons.com:
"BLUE RIND: This variety first appeared in O.F. Lloyd's Cobb Gem field in the 1970's. It apparently started as an accidental cross of a White Seeded Tom Watson and a Cobb Gem. This variety has the rind color of a Black Diamond and the shape of a Cobb Gem. It is a good eating watermelon and can grow to reach as much as one hundred sixty pounds."
I've read that the rind is actually somewhat darker than Black Diamond's.
Blue Rind used to be available at rareseeds.com some years ago, and they may or may not sell it again in future. In the meantime, it's scarce. However, you could probably easily cross White-seeded Tom Watson with Cobb Gem and then attempt to stabilize it yourself to get a very similar variety.
You might get a larger cross if you use Mississippi Cobb Gem instead of the regular Cobb Gem.
It should be noted that the current world's largest watermelon, Carolina Cross, is said to have come from North Carolina Giant and Cobb Gem. It's interesting Cobb Gem is often a parent of the largest watermelons.
It would be interesting to cross White-seeded Tom Watson with Carolina Cross #183 and see what would happen. I might try that next year (since I'm planning to grow both). Since Carolina Cross has some Cobb Gem in it, some of the giant factor that went into Blue Rind might make an appearance in this new cross.
It would also be interesting to cross Blue Rind with North Carolina Giant. Crossing Blue Rind with Carolina Cross would be partially redundant, genetically, due to Cobb Gem being in both (so that's why I say North Carolina Giant instead). Finding a trustworthy seed source for North Carolina Giant might be quite difficult, though.
I haven't grown this. I just wanted to comment.
This is one of the largest watermelon varieties. The only larger ones I kn...Read More