Bush Sugar Baby Organic Watermelon Seeds

The Bush Sugar Baby Watermelon is an excellent smaller sized watermelon that is perfect for the home garden and roadside stands. This crowd favorite is now available in organic seeds! This sweet, scarlet “icebox” melon can grow on space-saving vines only 3-1/2′ long. The Sugar Baby watermelons save space in the garden and in the refrigerator with their tiny size. The only thing big about this little round watermelon is the wonderful flavor – rich, juicy and incredibly sweet! Conventional Seed Available.

Plant Height: 10-20″

Botanical Name: Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus

Seed Type: Seed

Additional Characteristics: Crack Resistant

Seeds Per Gram: 24

Seeds Per Pound: 10,800

Row Spacing: 8′

Packet: 20 Seeds

Sow Depth: 1/2″

Seeds Per Ounce: 675

Fruit Color: Red

Breed: Open-pollinated

Sun: Full Sun

Types: DIPOLID WATERMELONS

Maturity: Early Season

Fruit Weight: 8-12 lbs.

Growing Conditions: Cold Tolerant, Drought Tolerant

Life Cycle: Annual

Sow Method: Direct Sow

Plant Spacing: 18-36″

Categories: Watermelon

Days To Maturity (# Days): 75

Organic: Organic

Heirloom: Heirloom

Seeds Per Acre: 1.5 lbs

Growing Instructions

The sprawling plant is fun to grow for families. Planting watermelons from seeds allows gardeners to handpick which sort of fruit they want, as watermelon comes in seedless, different colors, large and small varieties. Seedless is one of the more common plants, and although the fruit is not completely seed free, the seeds are small, transparent and edible.

Before Planting:A light, well-drained soil with a pH of 6.57.5 and a southern exposure is ideal. Sow seeds outdoors after last frost is expect and soil temperatures are above 70F. Triploid (Seedless) watermelon varieties need to be grown with Diploid (Seed) watermelon varieties for fertilization. Sugar Baby is good selection for a diploid fertilizer.

Planting:For direct seeding, sow 12 weeks after last frost when soil is warm, above 70F, 3 seeds every 1836, 1 deep. Thin to 1 plant per location when seedlings have first true leaves. If transplanting, sow 2-3 seeds, 1 deep in a 2 peat pot 2-4 weeks before last frost date (no sooner!). Germinate at 80F then reduce to a constant 75F). Keep well watered until 1 week before placing outdoors. Reduce water and temperature for a week to harden seedlings. Transplant 23 apart in rows 68 apart. Even hardened watermelon seedlings are tender! Do not disturb roots when transplanting, and water thoroughly.

Watering:When they are younger, watermelon plants require lots up water, up to 2 inches per week. If your able try not to water the fruits 1 week before harvest as over-watering can cause bland fruit.

Fertilizer:Prior to planting, amend soil with compost and a higher nitrogen fertilizer. Once vines begin to ramble, side dress plants with a 5-10-5 fertilizer and again once the melons are set.

Days to Maturity:There are 2 good ways to tell when a watermelon is ripe: 1) the tendril nearest the point on the vine where fruit stem attaches is browning/dead. 2) the spot where the fruit rests on the ground is pale yellow. (See each variety for days to maturity)

Harvesting: Once a watermelon is picked, it doesnt ripen any further. To harvest, take a knife and cut
the watermelon from the plant, cutting the stem close to the fruit. Hold at 40-50F and 85% relative humidity for 23 weeks. It is suggested to chill the watermelon prior to serving.

Tips:Pruning the plant is not necessary, but it may direct more energy to growing the fruits. If you choose to prune,
remove the small vines that grow laterally. To prevent rotting, gently lift the fruit as it gets bigger and turn it.

AVG. Direct Seeding Rate:1 oz./340, 1,000 seeds/500, 3 oz./1,000, 1 lb./acre at 3 seeds every 18, in rows 6 apart.