When the tendrils have fully dried out, the fruit is on the verge of overripeness if it isn't already and will not ripen further. ‘Sugar Baby’ watermelons fall into the category of “icebox” due to their petite size. Watermelons vary in size from the 5-pound Sugar Baby to the 40-pound Jubilee. What Type of Thump Sound Means Ripeness in a Watermelon? Moreover, growers cultivate sugar baby watermelon because it fits in the icebox or refrigerator. The watermelon's belly, where it touches the ground will turn from light green to cream or yellow. Its flavor is in its name as sugar babies flesh is nice and sweet — just like sugar! Inside has one of the brightest red. For more information, see our Seedless Watermelon production guide. So, it’s a smaller watermelon. The clues to watch for are a brown tendril and yellow ground spot. Nothing says "summer" quite like biting into a sweet, juicy watermelon for dessert. You can harvest up to 30 tonnes per acre if you plant Sugar Baby. Specifically, when the tendril nearest the … If you are worried you'll forget or if you have several fruit getting brown tendrils at different times, you can write the date on the watermelon with an industrial Sharpie. When they are green at the attachment point, the fruit is not yet ripe, but when they start to turn brown and dry, it is harvest time. Anticipation of the watermelon's cool, red sweetness can challenge your patience and leave you anxiously asking how to tell when your 'Sugar Baby' watermelon is ready to pick. The downside to this plant, is that each watermelon on the vine is about twelve pounds. Cut back on your watering schedule when the melons reach the size of a tennis ball. 2. How to Tell When Sugar Baby Watermelon Is Ready to Pick Days to Maturity. It is getting full sun and plenty of water, so the longest vine is just over 3 ft today! Cucurbitaceae Citrullus lanatus Other watermelon harvesting methods: You’ll see others tell you to look for black marks or a creamy yellow base from where it sat on the ground, and while these are good, they aren’t always 100% right. 2. The newer refrigerator-size small hybrid watermelons are more satisfactory for the average home garden, especially in the Northeast, where the growing season is shorter. Watermelons are vulnerable to fungal diseases sometimes caused by wet foliage. (3.5-4.5 kg.). This has a rind that shows the moon and bright star-shaped spots. Video How To Determine If Sugarbaby Watermelons Are Ripe And. 'Sugar Baby' watermelon This type features round, deep green fruits that have a thick rind that resists cracking, red flesh, and weigh 8 to 10 pounds each. Watermelon prices in Kenya fluctuate depending on the season and demand for the fruit but given a yield of about 15000 fruits per acre with each fruit weighing in at an average of 10kg with a farmer selling to watermelon buyers in Kenya directly from his farm after harvesting at Ksh. Therefore, harvest the fruit immediately. Watermelons ranging in size from 5 to 15 pounds are considered icebox melons because they fit well inside a refrigerator. Sugar Baby is a watermelon cultivar suitable for container gardening, owing to its compact nature and relatively small fruits. Sugar Baby grows to a fridge friendly size and is a perfect choice for small gardens. Place seeds in slightly rounded hills 2 feet in diameter and 5 feet apart. Nothing says "summer" quite like biting into a sweet, juicy watermelon for dessert. Step 1 Select a well-draining pot with a minimum diameter of 16 inches for each Sugar Baby watermelon you wish to grow. Sugar baby watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) was first developed in 1956. Wait 7-10 days and harvest it and it should be perfectly ripe. The trickiest part of growing ‘Sugar Baby’ watermelon is knowing when fruits are ready to pick. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in applied linguistics and an elementary teaching license. To extend the growing season, you can start the seeds indoors three to four weeks before last frost and transplant outdoors when daytime highs run between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime lows fall no lower than 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't know your specific type of sugar baby watermelon, most are ready for harvest around 80 days (give or take a week). Water transplants more early on, sparingly as plants mature. Watermelon is in the cucurbit family along with other melons like cantaloupe and honeydew. As its name implies, Sugar Baby watermelons have a brix measurement of 10.2 and rank as one of the sweetest watermelon cultivars. Sugar Baby Watermelon is an heirloom, open-pollinated watermelon variety that’s been a favorite for many years due to its petite size and sweet flavor. Sugar Baby; New Hampshire Midget; and Lollipop. Watermelon Harvest Sugar Baby July 27th You. The #1 icebox sized melon! This variety here is a Sugar Baby watermelon, which means that it’s a bush type. Once it is completely brown, note the date and leave the watermelon on the plant. Another is … A sandy, light loam deeply enriched with manure and compost is … In such cases, grow your melons in inverted hills by digging an area 1 inch deep and 24 inches wide and using the removed soil to create a rim around the inverted area. Growth: fruit size only 6"-10". Select a space-saving, early-bearing type like 'Bush Sugar Baby' watermelon, and you'll be able to harvest the juicy fruits while the days remain warm. If the weather is cloudy or rainy and cool, more than 85 days may be needed. The old trick of thumping on a watermelon until you find one with a dull thud is not the best way to determine which watermelons are … Watermelons vary in size from the 5-pound Sugar Baby to the 40-pound Jubilee. It's an online vegetable garden planner for anyone who wants homegrown, healthy and tasty food to be part of their lifestyle ... Watermelon : Sugar Baby Early variety with sweet, deep red flesh. Kansas State Research and Extension: When is Watermelon Ripe on the Vine? How To Tell If A Watermelon Is Ripe 4 Tips Pick Good. Set the transplants in their mounds in June. The plants … Gardeners living in Mediterranean climates can plant watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), a warm-weather crop, as early as May, notes the University of California Master Gardener Program of Alameda County. If you haven't had a chance to plan ahead to start your seeds indoors, sow them directly into the garden bed in June. Sugar baby and tiger baby are the example of icebox watermelon. Gardeners in Northern areas fare well with icebox watermelons, because they mature in a relatively short period of time (often in 85-90 days), allowing the fruit to be harvested prior to the first frost. Learn more. Pots should be at least 18 inches deep and wide, advises an article published by Harvest to Table. ‘Sugar Baby’: 80 days to maturity. Nothing says "summer" quite like biting into a sweet, juicy watermelon for dessert. The tendril is dried and the spot is yellow but its only 50 some days. DESCRIPTION: NAME: Sugar Baby Watermelon SCIENTIFIC NAME: Citrullus lanatus COLOR: Green with Darker Green Stripes PLANT SEEDS: Outdoors after frost / Indoors weeks before last frost PLANT HEIGHT: 6 - 12" PLANT SPACING: 5 - 6' HARVEST: 75 Days LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Sun SOIL & WATER PREFERENCES: Average - Dry (Tolerates Drought) QUANTITY: 100 Seeds OTHER: Sugar Baby … Sugar Baby watermelons have succulent pink flesh and dark rinds. Prepare the watermelon patch by using a spade to work a 4-inch layer of compost into the garden bed to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Saplings begin blooming after 35 days of planting. With most watermelons, it usually takes 5 weeks from flower to ripe fruit. How to Tell If Cantaloupes Are Ready to Pick? Make sure the growing watermelon fruits do not touch the ground directly. One of the ‘picnic’ most common melons, this long watermelon has a typical striped skin. Plan According to many gardeners, it is even sweeter than the average red watermelon. Space three 'Bush Sugar Baby' seedlings evenly in each mound. Brigham Young University Women's Conference: Which Vegetables Grow Well in Pots? Create a planting mound for every three 'Bush Sugar Baby' watermelon plants you intend to grow. and weigh about 8 to 10 lbs. There are a few varieties of watermelon that do particularly well in Florida. The sweetest, best-tasting watermelon you can grow. More than 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide. Growing this plant in containers make regulating its environment much more precise. Specifically, when the tendril nearest the fruit turns brown, that’s the top sign for ripeness. If you are growing more than three vines, space additional mounds 4 feet apart. Plants grow 8 t… The flesh is, of course, yellow, very sweet and crisp. The mounds should be 24 inches in diameter. Hi, I have read all the posts on when to harvest Sugar Baby Watermelon. If the sound is low-pitched, hollow, and deep like a drum it is ready. Sugar Baby; New Hampshire Midget; and Lollipop. Check the curly tendril that attaches your sugar baby watermelon to the stem. When Can I Harvest Habaneros and Jalapenos? Charleston Gray. She has more than 10 years experience teaching and gardening. Optimal temperature for plant growth is between 80-95˚F with nighttime temperatures above 70˚F. Proponents of this method listen for a low-pitched hollow thud sound with a little give. Scoop away the seeds that float since they might be sterile. ‘Golden Midget’: 70 days to maturity. It takes up much less space than your average watermelon. More than 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide. Handpick the beetles and drop them into a bucket of soapy water. I think they should be ready any day now but since they do most of their ripening in the … Store at 45˚F. Water the newly planted 'Bush Sugar Baby' seedlings, being careful to water the soil, not the vines themselves. Are you wondering how long it takes to harvest a watermelon? The vines are beautiful. Feeling. Personal watermelons are smaller versions of the classic summer fruit, usually topping out at no more than 5 pounds (2.2 kilograms). The variety is also called a picnic type. Start your 'Bush Sugar Baby' watermelon seeds indoors in mid- to late April, or six weeks before your anticipated planting date. Its flavor is in its name as sugar babies flesh is nice and sweet — just like sugar! Know your Sugar Baby Watermelon. Your watermelon should weigh about 6 to 10 lbs… Planting Details: Plant Spacing: Row: 6'Plant: 3'. The hybrid varieties take 5-6 days while the variety named Sugar Baby takes only 3-4 days to sprout. China has been cultivating watermelon since the tenth century and Native Americans were growing watermelon bef… Try growing a small, quick-to-harvest variety: Cole’s Early, Garden Baby, Sugar Baby, Sunshine, Yellow Baby, or Yellow Doll. This part is simple. Oct 19, 2019 - How to Tell When Sugar Baby Watermelon Is Ready to Pick. 51663 Yates Vege Watermelon Sugar Baby Packet Seed Watermelon Sugar Baby Product Good things really do come in small parcels! As an early-season cultivar, it reaches maturity about 75-80 days after seed germination. The condition of the tendrils near the fruit stem is another indicator of when a watermelon is ready to pick. Watermelons ripen in the last two weeks of growth and will not continue to sweeten after picking, so watch carefully for the color change signs to determine the right time to pick. The 'Sugar Baby' variety generally reaches maturity in 80 days, so first harvest can fall as early as late May and run into June. The melon is round with striped skin when immature, changing to a dark greenish-black when ripe. Produces and abundance of sweet and small watermelons. I understand that the seedless kind are trickier, I'll need a pollinator and I'll probably have to start them indoors, which is never a problem. And sugar baby watermelons excel in both those categories. Tie netting to the trellis to fashion a supportive sling under each melon. In Mediterranean climates, 'Bush Sugar Baby' melons will have the 75 to 80 warm summer days they need before harvest, although you'll be picking them later than you normally would. Special Care for Black Diamond Watermelon, How to Grow Dill's Atlantic Giant Pumpkins, University of California Master Gardener Program of Alameda County, Brigham Young University Women's Conference, University of California Master Gardener Program of Alameda County: Your Alameda County Garden, Month-by-Month. Use an industrial marker (found in the tool section at home centers) to mark the … Sow the seeds 1 inch deep in pots with drainage holes that are filled with sterilized potting soil or seed-starting medium. Add a 1-inch layer of compost around each 'Baby Sugar Bush' vine every three weeks and then water around each vine so the nutrients from the compost leach into the soil. But Dr. Bill Rhodes, professor of horticulture at Clemson University, says this method ruins the quality of the fruit, while the University of Illinois Extension warns that the dull thud sound can be unreliable, indicating instead an overripe, mushy watermelon. Sugar Baby is an early season watermelon, coming to maturity approximately 75 days after germination. May 26, 2014 - Growing delicious sugar baby watermelons on a trellis in a very small space. The watermelon you planted will be ready about 80 or so days after you plant it from seed. Bears 6-pound, oblong melons with red flesh. Early single fruits or extra fruits should be removed to encourage optimum size and flavor of the remaining two melons. Seed Details: Days to maturity: 75 days. If the garden plot you need for melons is taken by a cool-weather crop until June, you can catch up quickly by starting seeds indoors so that they'll be ready to set out in June. It says that my Sugar Babies should be ripe in 80 days from planting and though we started the seeds indoors in early May they did not get planted in the garden until early June. The vines only grow about three to three and one-half feet long. It’s best to check the seed packet that will tell you exactly how many days it will take for the Sugar Baby watermelon to reach maturity for harvest. ... Before you can harvest a watermelon it is key to look out for signs that tell whether it is ripe or not. Citrullus lanatus , or Sugar Baby watermelon, is an incredibly productive grower as well. You’ve helped me realize that I should harvest the basil and chives from this planter in order to give the watermelon it’s best shot. Why Are My Cantaloupes Splitting When They Are Not Ripe? The fruits themselves measure about 9 by 8 inches (23 x 20 cm.) Other watermelon harvesting methods: You’ll see others tell you to look for black marks or a creamy yellow base from where it sat on the ground, and while these are good, they aren’t always 100% right. Another clue that tells if a watermelon is ripe is how long it's been growing. Watermelon takes a long time to grow from seed to harvest because of it’s large fruit. The newer refrigerator-size small hybrid watermelons are more satisfactory for the average home garden, especially in the Northeast, where the growing season is shorter. 'Sugar Baby' watermelon requires 60 to 90 warm days to produce ripe 10-pound melons. This variety of smaller fruit can be planted just 4 feet apart. The "Sugar Baby" watermelon's (Citrullus lanatus “Sugar Baby”) smaller size and space requirements give … Set three 'Bush Sugar Baby' transplants in each inverted hill. In frost-free climates, you can sow them outdoors in Continue to give the vines a steady supply of water as they grow – at least 1 inch per week using a garden hose or drip irrigation system. Their basic characteristics and habit of growth include: 1. In addition to counting the days from planting, signs of maturity include color, sound and the appearance of the tendrils. If it is white or pale green the melon is not ready to harvest. Cucumber beetles spread diseases that can kill watermelon vines. The first is the size and the other is the sweetness. Monitor 'Bush Sugar Baby' vines for cucumber beetles on a regular basis. Moreover, growers cultivate sugar baby watermelon because it fits in the icebox or refrigerator. at maturity. Originating in Africa, watermelon cultivation has a long history across the globe and even in the Americas. Use a trellis in the container or next to it to support the melons. A sandy, light loam deeply enriched with manure and compost is … Very sweet red watermelons like the Sugar Baby can be planted near the end of spring and can weigh up to 10 lbs. This means, around day 75 or so, depending on how the season was, you can start watching for ripe watermelon. University of California, Davis Agriculture and Natural Resources: Watermelon Production in California, W. Atlee Burpee & Co.: Watermelon, Bush Sugar Baby, University of Illinois Extension: Watermelon, New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service: Beat August Heat with Watermelons. Sweet tasting and smaller fruited “Ice Box” type watermelon. It should be yellow or creamy colored on the underside. Water Melon Sugar Babe. Remove any extra fruits if the vines produce more than two watermelons, or a single fruit if it appears early in the season. Early and very productive with sweet, juicy, fine-textured, medium-red flesh and thin hard rind. It's All About Timing. When to Pick Watermelon. Set the seedlings on a sunny windowsill once they germinate in about 10 days and keep them well watered using a mister. Harvest the melons when they are about 12 pounds each, or 75 to 80 days after sowing. The "Sugar Baby" watermelon's (Citrullus lanatus “Sugar Baby”) smaller size and space requirements give … After you eat a sweet and ripe watermelon, keep the seeds in a water bowl. The specially bred watermelons are sweeter than other varieties and also have a thinner rind, making more of the overall weight edible. If you are planning to grow the popular smaller, icebox-sized watermelons, look for 'Sugar Baby' or 'Mickeylee' varieties. Johnny’s Seed Company explains further to say that it should sound like “punk” rather than “pink” or “pank” when you flick it with your finger. The cute, round, 5-6 pound fruits have reddish orange flesh underneath a rind that is nearly black when ripe. Remove aphid infestations by spraying the tiny insects with water from a garden hose. As an early-season cultivar, it reaches maturity about 75-80 days after seed germination. Thirdly, icebox watermelons are tiny melons bred for just one person or a small family. The tendril is brown and I have recorded the date. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. The variety is also called a picnic type. Harvesting: Harvest when rind changes from bright to dull green, and the part that touches soil shifts from greenish white or straw yellow to rich, creamy yellow. 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