75 days.
Like many icebox types, ‘Sugar Baby’ ripens 8- to 12-pound fruits in 75 days (compared to 120 days for a full-size watermelon). Even though fruits are small, they’re packed with full-size flavor and sweetness. Need more convincing?
Will Sugar Baby watermelon ripen off the vine?
Like other melons, they won’t continue to ripen once you’ve picked them off the vine. If you don’t take the time to learn when to harvest them, you might end up with inedible fruits and a lot of wasted time. So, how can you tell if your Sugar Baby watermelons are ready for picking?
How can you tell when a baby watermelon is ripe?
Do a thump test. A ripe watermelon should have a deep hollow sound when you thump the rind with your hand, similar to a knock on the door. An unripe melon will have a more high-pitched resonance, whereas an overripe melon will sound more like a thud.
How long does it take for a watermelon to be ready to pick?
65 to 90 days
Time to Maturity
Depending on the variety, watermelons can take 65 to 90 days from sowing to produce ripe fruit. Most take about 32 days after blooming for the fruit to reach its peak.
How many watermelons does a Sugar Baby produce?
Sugar Baby watermelon vines produce a fruit that is approximately 6–10 pounds. Sugar Babies produce less fruit on each vine than a traditional watermelon variety—each plant will produce one or two watermelons.
What is the sweetest small watermelon?
Sugar Baby
The quintessential icebox melon. Sugar Baby produces round, 6-10 pound, dark green fruits that are super sweet, and super cute!
Why is my Sugar Baby watermelon white?
If your sugar baby watermelon is white inside when you cut it open, then it wasn’t ready for harvest. Knowing when your sugar baby is ripe can be a little tricky. You need to time it right — if you pick them too early, they’ll be inedible.
Will watermelon ripen off the vine?
Some, like watermelon, do not continue to ripen once harvested. Therefore, flavor will not improve nor will they become sweeter—t is what it is at harvest. However, cantaloupe and similar fruit will continue to ripen after harvest.
What is the sweetest watermelon?
Sultan. Sultan is one of the sweetest varieties you’ll find, this one measures 12.3 on the Brix scale. The fruits average 15 pounds and ripen within 95 days.
Can you Trellis Sugar Baby watermelon?
Hot to Make a Watermelon Trellis
Whatever you choose, make sure it can support the weight of 2-3 watermelons per plant (sugar baby watermelons work great for this method and eliminate issues trying to support enormous melons)
How can you tell if a watermelon is male or female?
There is no such thing as a boy versus girl watermelon, even though there are male and female watermelon flowers. North Carolina is in peak watermelon season right now, so regardless of the size or variety, your watermelon should taste sweet and juicy.
What can you do with Underripe watermelon?
I also found some suggestions for using unripe watermelon, many of them involving adding vodka. Several sites said you can use the rind to make preserves, whether the watermelon is ripe or not. Some said blend the watermelon and add simple syrup made with equal amounts of sugar and water for a refreshing drink.
How can you tell if a watermelon is sweet?
Look for an orange creamy field spot. The darker yellow field spot usually means it was on the vine longer and is full of flavor. If the field spot is white that’s a sign that the melon is not quite ripe. Larger “webbing” or “sugar spots” means that the melon is seeping out sugar and is usually the sign of sweet melon.
Can you pick watermelon early?
Once picked, watermelon fruits stop ripening and fruits picked too early may be destined for the compost pile instead of the dinner table. It’s important to allow your watermelon time to reach full maturity in the garden.
How can you tell a good watermelon?
If the watermelon is ripe, the field spot should be a large, yellow patch on one side of the melon. If it is ripe, the color should be a creamy, almost butter-like yellow. The bigger the yellow belly and the creamier the color means the more time the melon spent ripening on the vine.
Is a Sugar Baby watermelon good?
This widely adapted heirloom variety is solid, dark green on the outside with a bright red, firm and fine-grained flesh that is super sweet. Watermelon contains high levels of healthy antioxidants, making Sugar Baby a great sweet way to pack in good nutrition. Vines are compact. Plant about 4 feet apart.
How many Sugar Baby watermelon seeds are in a hole?
Plant 1 inch deep, 6 seeds per hill, hills 4 to 6 feet apart; or 1 foot apart in rows 5 feet apart. Can plant at closer spacings if trellised. Thin to 2 to 3 plants per hill. Prefers warm, well-drained, soil, high in organic matter with pH 6.5 to 7.5.
Does Salt Make watermelon sweeter?
Salt is a great way to enhance these fruits’ natural sweetness. Salting watermelon also improves the fruit’s texture. A little sprinkling of salt brings all the liquid to the surface of the water-rich fruit. As a result, each bite is guaranteed to be juicy and sweet.
What are tiny watermelons called?
Cucamelons are grape-sized fruits that look like Lilliputian watermelons but taste like cucumbers. They are native to Mexico and Central America, where they go by nicknames such as sandita (“little watermelon”) or sandía ratón (“mouse melon”).
What is the most flavorful watermelon?
25 of the Best Watermelon Varieties
- Picnic. Allsweet. Charleston Gray. Crimson Sweet.
- Icebox. Blacktail Mountain. Bush Sugar Baby. Sweet Beauty.
- Personal. Golden Midget. Little Darling.
- Giant. Black Diamond Yellow Belly. Carolina Cross #183.
- Seedless. Big Tasty. Mini Piccolo.
- Orange, Yellow, or White Flesh. Orange Crisp. Orangeglo.
Why are my watermelons not ripening?
If your watermelons are slow to ripen or are failing to fully ripen at all, it could be due to the wrong temperature levels, insufficient sunlight, soil nutrient imbalance, insect infestation, incorrect watering, or overcrowding.