Growing Sugar Baby watermelon

I grow them. They are ripe fast, so I can get ripe melons in my short growing season.  I just let them trail on the ground.

Might have to try some of this variety since its fast growing. Are they yummy Oregon Blues?

After working at a plant nursery for six years, here is something I learned about watermelon:

On watermelon, you have both male and female flowers. The male blossoms will have little pollen speckles on it, which get transported by bees to the female blossoms. This fertilizes the blossom and it turns into a fruit.

With that said, here is what we do. We pick one of the male blossoms (one with polleny powder) and sprinkle it into all the other blossoms. This ensures that the blossoms get fertilized, and that we'll have lots of watermelon!

Quote:

Originally Posted by destinduck 

Might have to try some of this variety since its fast growing. Are they yummy Oregon Blues?

They've been quite good.

Superb watermelon grows where it is hot, and I don't have any hot weather. but they have been better than some of the store melons which are often not ripe, or they are over ripe.  In Florida, you probably have lots of options for varieties of watermelon.  Most of them need too many days to ripen for my area.

But yes, give them a try.  The small size is nice.  They fit into the fridge and there is no rush to eat 25 pounds of melon before it spoils.  Not that I can't eat 25 pounds of watermelon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Going Bhonkers 

 

Do you have any issues with insects (or other critters) getting to the fruit before they're ripe?

Bugs and critters aren't too much of an issue here.  I set each melon (and eggplant) on a bit of flat board so it is not in contact with the ground.

I have fencing to keep deer and rabbits out.  I've had a crow problem this year with them stealing eggs, so I might have to protect the veggie garden more than I am used to doing to keep the crows from destroying it.  The crows are new to the area this year, so I still have to learn how to minimize their damage. I know they will peck holes in melons.