Crimson Sweet Watermelon

 

Crimson Sweet watermelon has a green striped rind and bright crimson flesh and can grow 20-25 pound melons. Crimson Sweet watermelons are a heat-loving and surprisingly a drought-tolerant crop.

In cool climates, start indoors 2-4 weeks before transplanting outdoors. They prefer a soil temperature of between 70-85 Degrees F. Prefers full sun. Once soil reaches 70 degrees F., you can sow directly outside in hills 6 feet apart to allow plenty of room for vines to spread. Plant 1/2" deep. Allow 2-3 plants per hill. They should germinate within 5-9 Days. Do not disturb tender roots when transplanting. Well-draining soil must be watered frequently and kept moist.



Plant watermelon


You can plant watermelon in trays (one seed per cell) or directly in the garden. For direct sowing, you will want to sow about 8 seeds per mound about 1 inch deep and then thin to 3 of the healthiest plants. They should germinate within a week. Watermelon love hot weather so don't plant too early. Wait until it is 60-70F at night. Watermelon do take a long time to grow; 100-125 days. By three weeks, they should have true leaves and the plants in cells are ready for hardening off. After hardening off, they can be planted in hills that are 5 feet apart (a 5ft. x 5 ft). The roots are deep, so they will need loose soil. They are heavy feeders and they need nitrogen. They also need a lot of water, so adding peat to the hills will aid in water retention. However, you cannot have the plants in standing water. so the soil needs to be mounded up so the water can run off. Since the vines are subject to powder mildew, it is best to water in the morning, so that the sun can evaporate any water off of the plants themselves. Watermelon love full sun and lots of water. Dig a hole about 24 inches in diameter and 18 inches deep. Make a 6 inch berm around the hole to help collect the rain and yet allow the water run off away from the plant's leaves. the mounts should be about 12 inches high so the water can run off away from the plant's leaves. Add fish and lime to the hole. Add a heavy dose of blood meal, and side dress with blood meal every 2-3 weeks. Back fill 1 part Peat, 2 parts manure and 1 part soil and mound it up to create a hill. If transplanting plants, plant 3 per hill. You will only get one or two melons per plant. You can plant along a cattle panel trellis. Help them begin to run the tendrils up the trellis. You can spray plants with BT and baking soda to prevent pests and mildew.
When you notice that the first tendrils next to the fruits have turned brown, you can begin to harvest.