How to Plant Sugar Babies in a Raised Bed
Growing watermelon is enjoyable for even the most novice gardener. Finding the appropriate amount of room can be the only drawback, as most varieties of melons need large surface areas to vine. Raised bed gardeners, who utilize every square foot of garden plot effectively, might find growing watermelon especially tricky. Thankfully, alternatives exist for even the most space challenged gardener. Known for its sweet flesh and relatively compact fruit, Sugar Baby watermelons offer raised bed enthusiasts a delicious crop of space saving choices. Follow a few planting and growing techniques and you’ll soon enjoy your own crop of succulent Sugar Babies this summer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Sugar Baby seeds or seedlings
- Black plastic
- Garden tools
- Organic fertilizer or compost
Instructions
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Choose a variety. Select the standard Sugar Baby, for 10 to 12 pound round “ice box” fruit and areas that can support a 5- to 9-foot spread. For extra small spots, opt for Bush Sugar Baby, which bears similar fruit but has only 3 1/2-foot vines and stays in a neater, denser shape.
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Begin your seeds indoors if you live in an area with a shorter growing season. Use peat pots as the roots of watermelon are fragile and don’t transplant well. Start seeds about 1 to 2 weeks indoors before the last frost date in your area. Otherwise, sow seeds directly in prepared soil 2 weeks after the last frost date for your growing zone. If you prefer, established plants are also available from local greenhouses if you’d like to skip starting from seed. Whichever option you select, spend adequate time preparing the raised bed soil prior to planting.
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Amend the raised bed with plenty of compost or nitrogen rich material, such as seaweed or aged manure. Watermelons consume high levels of nitrogen during all stages of growth. Providing a rich soil with decaying organic material to plant seeds or seedlings is optimal. Work organic material into the top 6- to 8-inch layers of soil. Test the soil if you have concerns about proper conditions. Though Sugar Baby plants will tolerate lower pH, the most favorable is 6 to 6.8.
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Make sure the soil is adequately warm before planting. All melons, including watermelon, do not tolerate cold well. The soil should be at least 70 degrees for heat loving Sugar Baby. If you’d like to jump start the weather, cover prepared soil with tightly stretched black plastic for a week prior to planting.
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Plant Sugar Baby 6 inches from the perimeter border of the raised bed, with a depth of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Sow seeds in groups of two to three. Pick a sunny spot, preferably on the northern side of your raised bed, to plant Sugar Babies. Watermelons require full sunlight during maturation. Shady areas will create a poor crop or stunted growth.
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Use mulch to keep weeds minimal and to retain moisture. Train vines to grow in the designated area. Keep Sugar Baby well watered and provide regular organic fertilizer. In approximately 80 to 85 days, your crop will be ready for harvest. Signs of a ripe melon include a creamy yellow underside and brown stem tendrils.
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Tips & Warnings
Sugar Baby also can be trained to grow upward on trellises. Make sure to support vines as they mature.
Don’t be alarmed when the first blossoms fall off. These are male blossoms which do not produce fruit. The female fruit bearing blossoms soon follow.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Camouflage image by Slapper from Fotolia.com
