How to Grow Sugar Baby Watermelons
Sugar Baby bush watermelons grow well in a garden with limited space as the plants are compact in size. The 5- to 10-pound melons are recognizable by the hard dark green, nearly black, rind. They grow in a 6-inch to 8-inch small round shape. The compact shape and size is the reason the fruit are dubbed an "ice box" type; they are easily stored in the refrigerator. The fruit is ready to harvest within 75 to 90 days after the seeds are planted. It is a particularly enjoyable crop to plant with children. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Select a well-drained sunny location in which to plant the Sugar Baby watermelon seeds; a south facing slope is recommended. It is best to direct-seed watermelon into the soil as the plants don't do as well when handled during transplanting.
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Dig a hole that is 2 feet wide and 1 foot deep and fill it half full of compost with a garden spade. Back fill the soil into the hole and work the compost into it to create a 'hill'. Make sure that the soil and compost are well mixed. Smooth the top over with the back of the spade. Dig the next hole to create a hill about 6 feet from the first one and continue on. Rows of hills should be planted 7 to 10 feet apart.
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Push three to five seeds 1-inch deep into the compost and soil mixture. Plant them in a circular pattern about 3 to 4 inches apart in the center of the hill. Smooth soil out to cover the holes made by your fingers.
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Spread organic mulch around the hill to help cut back on weed growth after the melon plants emerge from the soil. If you garden in an area with cool weather you can place black plastic film or floating row covers over the hill. Cut slits in the plastic for the plants to grow through. The black plastic will help keep heat in the area and will prevent weed growth.
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Water the Sugar Baby bush watermelon plants only when you are experiencing a prolonged period of dry weather. Keep the area weed free.
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Watch for cucumber beetles as they are a destructive pest for watermelon plants. Use an organic insecticide soap to safely eliminate pests.
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Check the growing Sugar Baby watermelon for signs of ripeness including the dark green rind, curly tendrils on the stem turning brown, and the bottom of the melon turning yellow where it touches the ground. When the melon is ripe, the skin of the melon will be resistant if you try to pierce it with your fingernail.
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Tips & Warnings
If you live in a region with a short growing season, plant two seeds in a peat pot to be transplanted into each hill. Use a starter fertilizer to set the plants out into the garden when temperatures are at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sound of a dull thud when using the "thumping method" to determine ripeness will most certainly be a sign of an overripe Sugar Baby watermelon fruit.
