Watermelon - All Sweet - Citrullus lanatus ,Excellent heirloom variety.
Tender Annual All Sweet has a yellow-green rind, with dark-green broken stripes. It's flesh is reddish in color with few, small seeds. It grows 17"-19" long and up to 7" in diameter and averages 25-28 lb. This melon stands
long in the field without becoming overripe.
Soil & Water: Watermelon prefers light, loamy, fertile, deep, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Add plenty of organic matter. Water plants amply until setting out, then water more sparingly. Mulch to prevent weed
competition.
Planting & Growing: Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before the last frost or sow seeds directly after frost. Set out 3-4 transplants per hill, selecting the strongest two when vines are 1'-2' long. Watermelons are large vining
plants that can take over an extensive garden space. They can be trellised, but use slings to support the developing fruit.
Harvesting & Storage: Harvest melons when the tendril closest to the stem turns dry and brown and the stem becomes brittle. Eat fresh, freeze flesh in a honey-based syrup, or pickle the rind.
Did You Know? Watermelon is low in calories and is very nutritious. It is high in lycopene, second only to tomatoes!
Soil Temperature: 75-95F
Planting Depth: 1/2"
Germination: 3-9 Days
Height At Maturity: 18"-24"
Days To Maturity: 80-97 Days
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Spacing After Thinning: 4'-6'
Harvesting:
It can be tricky to know exactly when a watermelon is ripe and ready to pick. First, know the number of âdays to harvestâ and begin checking fruits as harvest date draws closer. Signs to look for are:
(1) the bottom of the melon (where it lies on the soil) turns from light green to a yellowish color. (2) the surface color of the fruit turns dull; (3) the skin becomes resistant to penetration by the thumbnail and is rough to the touch; and (4) light green, curly tendrils on the stem near the point of attachment of the melon start to yellow and turn brown. All of these indicators may not necessarily occur at the same time.
Materials: garden,planting,crisp texture,rich flavor,Organic,Red Flesh,Water melon,Super Sweet,Fruit,Juicy,Garden Must Have
