Growing Crimson Sweet Watermelon Garden Seeds
- Latin Name: Citrullus lanatus
- Variety: “Crimson Sweet”
- Other Names:
- Days to Maturity: 80-90 days
- Hardiness Zones: 3-9
- Planting Depth: 1-1-½"
- Plant Spacing: 3-5’
- Row Spacing: 5-8’
- Growth Habit: Spreading-vine
- Soil Preference: Fertile, loamy and well-drained with soil pH 5.5-6.5
- Temp Preference: Warm to hot
- Light Preference: Full sun
- Pests/diseases: Cucumber beetles, melon aphids and powdery mildew
- Color: Dark-green striped exterior with dark-red fruit
- Flavor: Juicy, sweet with hints of cucumber
Sowing & Growing:
Sow Crimson Sweet Watermelon seeds once your soil has reached 70℉ and your region’s night temperatures don’t drop below 50℉. You can also start growing seeds indoors if you live in a cooler climate. Plant Crimson Sweet Watermelon seeds 2-3 weeks after your region’s final frost and transplant the young plants outside once they’ve developed their first set of true leaves. It’s advised to sow in larger pots to protect watermelon’s fragile root growth. For direct-sowing, plant seeds in raised hills. Sow Crimson Sweet Watermelon ½-1” deep and with 2-3 seeds in each hill and 6’ spaced in between rows. Germination will take 3-10 days, depending on how warm the soil is in your garden. Sweet Crimson types prefer loamy and well-drained soil with a pH level of 5.5-6.5. As these warm season plants grow, they will produce male and female flowers. Pinch back some of the buds in order to help keep a consistent energy distribution flowing throughout the vines of these summer-loving plants. Place in a sunny location and give these water-abundant watermelons 1-2” per week until you see the first fruits start to bloom. Then water Crimson Sweet non-organic varieties once the soil has dried.
Harvesting:
When it comes to harvesting watermelons of all types, there are some tips and tricks for scoping out ripeness. Visual cues such as checking the color on the bottom will show an off-white color if they’re still unripe. Crimson Sweet watermelons will be ripe once you see more of a yellow hue. Textural signs are the classic “thump” method as well as the gentle press. For “thumping” give a light knock on the rind to hear a hollow sound which indicates full maturity. Harvest the ripe fruit in 80 days from the sowing date. Cut the stem near the fruit with a knife or gardening shears. Uncut Crimson Sweet Watermelon can be stored in room temperature for up to 3 weeks.
Facts:
All watermelon plants reside in the cucurbita family and are native to the Western and Southern regions of Africa. The non-organic Citrullus lanatus variety came from a horticulturalist named Charlie Hall in 1963.
Crimson Sweet Watermelon Seeds Per Package:
- 1 oz - Approximately 420 Seeds
- 4 oz - Approximately 1,680 Seeds
- 1 lb - Approximately 6,720 Seeds
- 5 lbs - Approximately 33,600 Seeds
- 25 lbs - Approximately 168,000 Seeds