Melon

Variety History

Sugar Baby is an "icebox" watermelon developed in the 1950s — small (6-10 lb), round, dark green, with sweet red flesh. Perfect for small gardens and short seasons.

Regional Context

Melons are the ultimate gamble in the PNW. Sugar Baby (icebox watermelon) and Minnesota Midget (cantaloupe) are bred for short seasons. Grow against a south-facing wall on black plastic. Bainbridge summers produce excellent melons about every other year — in cool years you get nothing, in hot years they rival Eastern Washington.

Growing Technique

Start indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting (late April for mid-May transplant). Melons demand heat — use black plastic mulch to warm soil. Space 2-3 ft apart. Water consistently until fruits are tennis-ball sized, then reduce water by half to concentrate sugars. Harvest cantaloupes when they slip from the vine with gentle pressure (the "full slip" stage). Watermelons are ready when the tendril opposite the fruit dries and the ground spot turns yellow.

Watch For

• Cool summers produce bland, watery melons — success rate in the PNW is about 50%. Powdery mildew by August. Cucumber beetles spread bacterial wilt — floating row cover until flowering. Overwatering during ripening dilutes flavor dramatically — let soil dry between waterings once fruit sets. Harvest too early and they never sweeten — melons do not ripen off the vine.

Recipes