← Crop Library

Watermelon

Sugar Baby

Cucurbitaceae

Spacing1 per sq ft
Days to Harvest90d
Expected Yield1-3 melons per plant

Watermelon

No photo yet · Tap Generate to create one

AI-generated botanical watercolor illustration of Watermelon.

Text me when to plant watermelon

Get a month-by-month watermelon growing summary texted to your phone — sow windows, harvest timing, and what to do this week. No app, no account.

We'll text you a one-time summary. Standard message rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.

Variety History

Sugar Baby, introduced in 1956, revolutionized home gardening by making watermelons possible in small spaces and shorter seasons. It remains the go-to icebox variety.

Regional Context

Watermelons in the PNW are aspirational. Try short-season varieties: Sugar Baby (75 days), Blacktail Mountain (70 days, bred in Idaho), or Yellow Doll. Grow in the hottest microclimate you have. A successful PNW watermelon is a genuine achievement — bragging rights included.

Growing Technique

Start indoors mid-April in 4" pots (melons resent transplanting — use biodegradable pots to avoid root disturbance). Transplant to black plastic mulch in late May when soil is 70°F+. Space hills 4-6 ft apart, 2 plants per hill. Water deeply but infrequently. Fertilize at planting and when vines begin to run. Pinch off growing tips after 4-5 fruits set to direct energy. The ground spot test is the most reliable ripeness indicator: where the melon rests on soil, the spot turns from white to creamy yellow.

Watch For

  • The PNW is marginal for watermelons — they need 80-90°F days and warm nights. Cool-season watermelons are small and bland. Cucumber beetles vector bacterial wilt — row cover until flowering. Overwatering during ripening ruins sweetness. If August is cool and overcast, you may get nothing usable — plan accordingly.

Recipes