20 Types of Watermelon to Grow in Your Garden
Choosing the Right Watermelon for Your Needs
Watermelons come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, so it’s important to choose the right variety for your needs. If you’re looking for a large watermelon to feed a crowd, consider a picnic watermelon like Carolina Cross or Congo. If you prefer a smaller, personal watermelon, opt for a variety like Yellow Petite or Bush Sugar Baby. For areas with short growing seasons, consider early-maturing varieties like Tiger Doll or Cream of Saskatchewan.
Growing Watermelons
Watermelons require a long, warm growing season, so it’s important to start seeds indoors or in a greenhouse 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Once the seedlings have developed their first set of true leaves, they can be transplanted outdoors. Choose a planting site with full sun and well-drained soil. Watermelons need plenty of water, so be sure to water them deeply and regularly, especially during hot, dry weather.
Seedless and Personal Watermelons
Seedless watermelons are a popular choice for those who don’t like to deal with seeds. However, it’s important to note that seedless watermelons are not actually seedless. They contain undeveloped seeds that are soft and edible. To grow seedless watermelons, you must plant them with a seeded watermelon variety in the garden to provide pollen for the seedless fruit to form.
Personal watermelons are smaller than picnic watermelons and are perfect for serving 2-4 people. They mature quickly and are a good choice for areas with short growing seasons. Some popular personal watermelon varieties include Yellow Petite, New Queen, and Tiger Doll.
Watermelon Varieties
Here is a detailed look at 20 different types of watermelon:
- Allsweet: A large, oblong picnic melon with bright red flesh and a striped green rind.
- Belmont: A seedless, round personal watermelon with deep red flesh and a dark green rind.
- Black Diamond: A large, round picnic watermelon with thick, dark-green rind and bright red flesh.
- Bush Sugar Baby: A small, early-maturing icebox melon with bright red flesh and a short, 3-foot vine.
- Carolina Cross: An oblong picnic melon with light green rind and dark green stripes, known for its large size and crisp flesh.
- Charleston Grey: A classic picnic watermelon with greenish-gray rind and firm red flesh.
- Congo: A large picnic melon with light and dark green stripes, known for its high yield and long growing season.
- Cream of Saskatchewan: A good choice for areas with short growing seasons, with white or cream-colored flesh and a light green rind with dark green stripes.
- Crimson Sweet: A full-sized, round watermelon with light green rind and dark green stripes, known for its high sugar content and resistance to fusarium wilt and anthracnose.
- Dixie Queen: A fast-growing picnic watermelon with greenish-ivory rind and dark green stripes, known for its early maturity and resistance to fusarium wilt.
- Jubilee: A picnic melon with thick, light green rind and dark green stripes, known for its sweet, firm red flesh.
- Moon & Stars: An heirloom variety with dark green skin dotted with small bright yellow spots (stars) and larger yellow spots (moons), known for its unique appearance and long growing season.
- New Queen: An icebox-sized watermelon with bright orange flesh, few seeds, and a high sugar content.
- Orangeglo: A unique variety with deep orange flesh, light and dark green striped rind, and high yields.
- Sangria: A popular choice with bright red flesh, high sugar content, and a dark green rind with jade green stripes.
- Secretariat: A fast-maturing, seedless watermelon with deep red flesh and a medium-green rind with green stripes.
- Sweet Siberian: A small personal melon with apricot-colored flesh and a striped oblong rind, known for its early maturity and tolerance to shorter growing seasons.
- Tiger Doll: An early-maturing icebox melon with a light green rind with thin dark tiger stripes and bright red flesh, known for its crispness and sweetness.
- Top Gun: A large picnic watermelon with dark and light green stripes and bright red flesh, known for its uniform shape and quick maturity.
- Yellow Petite: A personal or icebox melon with soft-yellow flesh, sweet flavor, and a short 70-day maturity period.
