If you can only expect a little over two months of warm conditions, you don’t want to select a variety that takes over 100 days to ripen.Īlways read the seed packet for important planting and growing information like days to expected harvest, size of ripe fruit and plants, planting depth and expected days to germination. When deciding what variety of watermelon to plant, always consider your local weather conditions and the length of your warm-season. Place the pots in a sunny window or other sunny and warm location indoors, and the seeds should start germinating in about a week. Watermelons thrive when planted and grown with temperatures ranging between 70☏ and 85☏ (21.1☌ and 29.4☌), but still handle temperatures of 90☏ (32.2☌).Įxpert Tip: To get a jump on growing, you can start your watermelon seeds in peat pots about three weeks before your area’s last spring frost.Germination occurs in a couple of days, when seeds are planted in 95☏ (35☌) and can take a week, when planted in 70☏ (21.1☌). The best temperatures for germination are between 70☏ to 95☏ (21.1☌ to 35☌).The prime conditions for planting include: Therefore, it’s imperative to wait until the weather warms in spring to plant outdoors. If seeds are sowed or transplants set out in the garden when outdoor air and soil temperatures are still too cold, they can fail to germinate or thrive. The plants are very sensitive to frost and cold conditions. Watermelons, considered annual subtropical and tropical fruits, have a vining or scrambling nature, with most types requiring a large growing space or climbing structure, if grown in containers. By the 21 st Century, and due to continued breeding to develop more disease-resistant strains, seedless watermelons amount for 85 percent of all the watermelon sales in the U.S. The first seedless watermelon cultivar was developed in 1939 in Japan, but it wasn’t popular due to high susceptibility of disease. By the early 1500s, European colonists and African slaves brought the watermelon to the United States and were soon growing in Florida. By the time the 10 th Century rolled around, watermelons made their way to China, where they are still one of that country’s top produced fruit.īy the 13 th Century, watermelons had been introduced to the rest of Europe. They were so important, references to watermelons are found on the ancient hieroglyphics of Egypt and the fruits included in the Pharaohs’ tomb for their journey into the afterlife.įrom Egypt, merchant ships introduced watermelons throughout the various countries along the Mediterranean, and from there it continued to spread. Native to northeast Africa, evidence shows watermelons were cultivated and prized by the ancient Pharaohs’ of Egypt. Belonging in the large Cucurbitaceae family, which is the same family as cucumbers, pumpkins and squash, watermelons have been cultivated for thousands of years.

Where the watermelons grow book