Thanks for your replies. This week I took cuttings from the Versa plants I acquired earlier this Spring. They have already started to root. I suspect the key to rooting cuttings and getting seedlings to germinate and grow is soil temperature. If I ever do start from seed I would do so with some sort of bottom heat.
So far, the Versas seem to be sturdy plants except for watermelon which is a bit wimpier stem wise. I'm wondering how early these Versa seed grown be gin to flower compared to the cutting grown varieties with which I am most familiar..
Judy