Citrullus lanatus “Sugar Baby”
Sugar Baby watermelon: developed in the United States in the 1950s, this variety was designed for gardens and short growing seasons. While classic watermelons require long summers and plenty of space, Sugar Baby produces 3 to 4 kg fruits in a significantly shorter cycle—making it suitable for cultivation well beyond the south of France.
Characteristics:
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Reasonably sized fruit: 3 to 4 kg, slightly oval, with a uniform dark green rind.
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Red, sweet flesh: firm and juicy, with few black seeds.
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Very early: its short cycle makes it suitable for less warm climates.
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Drought-resistant: once established, it tolerates dry summers well.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun, in a warm, sheltered spot—this is essential for sweet fruit.
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Soil: rich, deep, loose and rather sandy, with good drainage. It is a heavy feeder: a planting hole filled with well-rotted compost makes all the difference. It dislikes stagnant water around the crown.
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Method: sow in individual pots under cover at 22–25 °C from April onward, 2 cm deep, placing the seed on its edge. Soaking for 12 hours in lukewarm water speeds up germination. See how to sow seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant in May–June with the root ball intact, taking care never to disturb the roots, into holes filled with compost and spaced 1 to 2 metres apart. Dark mulch warms the soil and noticeably speeds up fruit production.
Care advice:
- Water generously during growth, then reduce watering considerably as soon as the fruit begins to swell: this concentrates the sugars. Too much water at the end of the cycle produces bland watermelons.
- Limit each plant to 3 or 4 fruits and place a tile or board beneath each one to keep it away from damp soil.
Harvesting advice:
- Three signs together indicate ripeness: the tendril closest to the fruit has dried out, the ground spot has changed from white to creamy yellow, and the fruit sounds hollow when tapped. Watermelons do not continue to ripen after picking.
Beneficial companions:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Like melons, it depends entirely on bees to produce fruit: without pollinators, there are no watermelons. This is an excellent reason to sow nectar-rich flowers nearby.
- Its spreading foliage covers the soil extensively and protects it from drying out in summer.
Uses:
- Enjoy fresh, in a salad with feta and mint, as juice or sorbet. The white rind is excellent for making preserves, a traditional recipe that helps prevent waste.
Saving your own seeds:
Take the black seeds from a perfectly ripe fruit, rinse them to remove the pulp and dry them flat for several days. Watermelons cross-pollinate between varieties but not with melons or squash. See how to save your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them without any chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Watermelons within reach of gardens in both the north and south.
