Sugar Baby Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)

This small, round watermelon is the go to for a personal watermelon. These are small enough to fit in your refrigerator, and has the traditional dark green and light green stripes with bright pink flesh inside. They are called sugar baby for their sweetness and also contain high levels of antioxidants.

Planting/Harvesting Notes

  • Plant in full sun with well draining soil.
  • These melons finish out at 5-8 pounds and are suitable for growing vertically.
  • Water moderately, but be careful as melons are susceptible to cracking once ripe.
  • Check frequently for ripeness once the melon reaches about the size of a soccer ball.
  • Plant is ready to harvest 75-80 days after planting.
  • Expect 2-3 melons per vine.
  • Seeds can be saved from the melon when cutting a ripe melon open to eat.

How do I know if my watermelon is ripe?

Watermelon won’t ripen off the vine so it’s important to know when your melon is ripe. The best way to tell if a watermelon is ripe is to look at the small tendril in the crotch of the stem connecting the melon to the main vine. The crotch of this stem should also have a small, oval shaped leaf called the spoon leaf. Once both the spoon leaf and the tendril are completely dried, the melon is ripe and ready to be picked. Keep in mind that the spoon leaf may dry up and fall off. If the tendril is completely dried and the spoon leaf is dried or not present, the melon is ready to be picked.

A small watermelon hangs on a trellis. There is text with an arrow pointing to an example of the tendril and the spoon leaf. Both the tendril and the spoon leaf are intact.
A watermelon plant on a trellis. Notice the tendril is starting to brown but is mostly green still. The spoon leaf is folded in half but is still present and alive.

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