Watermelon

Sugar Baby ($3.50) – 75 days, popular open pollinated variety for short season areas.  8-10lb, round variety with pink-red flesh that is sweet and not too seedy.  Dark green thin, tough rind.  Ripens almost black.

Nature does not produce anything sweeter than a ripe exotic melon.  Canada has had great success with growing melons.

(Tip) Watermelon: In Canada, watermelons are best started indoors 3 – 4 weeks before the last frost.  Start 3-4 seeds in a 3-4” pot.  Do not break clumps apart.  Soil – Watermelons like well drained sandy – silty loam, high in organic matter PH 6 – 6.8.  Enrich with compost or well rotted manure in spring.  Watermelons are heavy users  of nitrogen, potassium and calcium.  For proper germination soil must be at least 72F for 5 days.  Cooler soil temperatures will result in poor germination.  Plant in clumps 3-4 seeds per clump, 24” apart in rows 4-7ft apart.  Close planting will result in smaller fruit size.