Watermelon

Grow a summer feast! A single homegrown watermelon makes a refreshing hot-weather dessert or special snack for a crowd. And there's a vast array of different types of watermelon out there to grow, too. They may be round icebox types or oval picnic types. The flesh may be red, yellow, orange or pink, and the size ranges from a few pounds to nearly 200 pounds. Watermelons require heat to germinate and grow well. Wait until two weeks after your last frost date to sow seeds, or in short-season regions, start seeds indoors four weeks before the last frost date. Provide plenty of room for plants to sprawl, and keep them watered well to speed development.

Light:

Sun

Plant Type:

Vegetable

Plant Height:

1-3 feet tall

Plant Width:

5-20 feet wide

Top Varieties

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'Crimson Sweet' watermelon

produces 15- to 25-pound round melons that are light green with dark green stripes. The flesh is dark red and firm. Plants are resistant to anthracnose and fusarium wilt.
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'Jubilee II Hybrid' watermelon

offers oblong green-striped fruits of that have red flesh and grow to 30 to 40 pounds. It has excellent anthracnose and fusarium wilt resistance. It is especially well suited to the Southeast.
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'Moon and Stars' watermelon

is an heirloom named named for the yellow splotches on the dark green rind. One or more large golden patch makes up the "moon" and numerous smaller dots are the "stars." The flavorful red-fruited melons weigh 25 to 40 pounds.
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'Sugar Baby' watermelon

features round, deep green fruits that have a thick rind that resists cracking, red flesh, and weigh 8 to 10 pounds each. The plants are compact, stretching only 3 to 4 feet long.
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'Sweet Beauty Hybrid' watermelon

bears 5- to 7-pound fruits that are a good size for small families or gatherings. The sweet red flesh has superior flavor. Fruits are borne on semi-upright vines that grow up to 3 feet tall.
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'Tiger Baby' watermelon

bears striped round fruits that weigh 7 to 10 pounds. The pinkish red flesh is dens and sweet. It has good resistance to fusarium wilt.
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'Yellow Doll Hybrid' watermelon

has unique yellow flesh. It produces 3- to 6-pound green-striped fruits on a compact vine.
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Harvest Tips

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Watermelons will not ripen off the vine. Experience helps in determining when to pick them, but there are several cues to know when to harvest. Each melon has a curly tendril near its stem end. This tendril turns brown when the fruit is ripe. The spot where the melon rests on the ground usually turns from white to creamy yellow as it ripens. And a ripe melon gives a dull thump when rapped with your knuckle.

Propagation

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Seed